inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Ps. 105:7)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation use the inclusive form. Bratcher / Reyburn recommend the exclusive form, because “the psalmist is speaking of himself and his intended audience, those who shared the experiences alluded to.”

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Ps. 115:3)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse (“our God” in English translations), the Jarai translation selects the exclusive form, because “the psalmist is speaking of himself and his intended audience, those who shared the experiences alluded to.”

The Adamawa Fulfulde translation used the inclusive form.

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Ps. 135:2)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse (“our God”), the Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation use the inclusive form.

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Ps. 46:7)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation use the inclusive form, because “as in most first person plural references in the Psalms, it [is] necessary to translate ‘with us’ using the inclusive pronominal reference, in order to include the psalmist and his fellow worshipers who are addressed in this psalm.”

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Ps. 47:4)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation use the inclusive form (including the psalmist and all of Israel).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Ps. 77:13)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse (“our God” in English translations), Bratcher / Reyburn recommend the exclusive form.

Translation commentary on Psalm 4:7

The psalmist assures himself of God’s goodness, and declares that even in his present difficulties God has given him more happiness than that experienced by his wealthy accusers, whose grainfields and vineyards have produced abundant harvests. The implied idea is that the spiritual benefits resulting from his loyalty and devotion to Yahweh are far better than the material wealth of his opponents. The Qumran Hebrew manuscript, and the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, add “and olive oil” after “grain and wine.” Most commentators and translators reject this as a scribal addition.

It may be necessary in some languages to make explicit those to whom they refers: “those people” or “the people who say those things.”

The psalmist says Thou hast put … joy in my heart (Good News Translation “the joy that you have given me”), a way of saying “You have filled me with joy,” “You have given me joy,” “You have made me happy.” It is not necessary in English always to use the word “heart” to represent the thought of the Hebrew expression. In general, “heart” in Hebrew thought represented the thinking function, “mind” (see 10.6, 11, “he thinks in his heart”); it could also represent the center of emotion (see 5.9b, “their heart is destruction,” Good News Translation “they only want to destroy”); and often it represents the inner self, the whole person (see 7.10b, “the upright in heart,” Good News Translation “those who obey him”; 13.5 “my heart shall rejoice,” Good News Translation “I will be glad”). The translator must decide in each passage whether or not “heart” in the target language carries the same meaning as “heart” does in the context of the passage being translated.

In translation it is often necessary to restructure comparatives and superlatives. For instance, “You have given me joy. That joy surpasses the joy they have from their grain and wine.” In some cases it will be essential to make explicit the connection between joy and the grain and wine; for example, “The joy people have from harvesting their grain and drinking their wine.” In areas where grain and wine are not found, the major crop will normally substitute for grain, or one may simply say “the harvest.” And if wine is unknown, it may in this context be possible to allow the local crop to represent both grain and wine as a single symbol of wealth; otherwise, one may translate wine as “favorite drink.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Psalm 8:1 - 8:2

The opening words are “Yahweh, our Lord,” the first being the personal name of God, followed by his title. Moffatt maintains the distinction with “O thou Eternal One, our Lord”; see New English Bible and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “O Lord our sovereign”; Bible en français courant “Lord, our master.” (Coverdale, in 1535, translated “O Lorde oure Governoure.”) Most English translations, since they follow the tradition begun by the Septuagint, obscure the distinction between the two (see comments on “LORD” in 1.2).

The vocative form requires some adjustments in many languages, such as “God, you who are our Lord” or “God, you who rule over us.”

The psalmist praises Yahweh’s majesty, which is known in all the earth. In translation it will often be necessary to recast this expression in an active sense; for example, “People everywhere see how great you are.”

For name see comments at 5.11. God’s greatness is apparent everywhere; his fame is acknowledged by all peoples. The adjective translated majestic (Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) is also translated “glorious” (An American Translation, New English Bible), “powerful” (Bible de Jérusalem). The idea of power is made explicit in Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, “your name rules (or, has dominion) in all the world.” This, however, is not a very good model to follow.

It is difficult to decide how to translate the last part of verse 1 and connect it to the first part of verse 2. The end of verse 1 in the Hebrew is “whose glory you are to place above the heavens.” “You are to place” represents the imperative of the verb for “to give” (so Briggs, who omits “whose” as a scribal addition, and translates “O set Thy splendour above the heavens!”). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project takes the Masoretic text form to be the infinitive of the same verb “to give,” meaning here “you have set”; so New International Version. But the Koehler-Baumgartner lexicon (K-B) takes the Masoretic text form to be the imperative of another verb, “to recount, tell.”

Most commentators and translators regard the Masoretic text as deficient, and several solutions are proposed: (1) to place different vowels with the consonants of the Masoretic text so as to get the passive form of the verb “to tell,” namely, “whose glory is told (or, praised)”; so An American Translation, Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, Good News Translation; (2) to place other vowels with the same consonants to get the perfect form of the same verb: “your name which tells (or, proclaims)”; (3) another solution, proposed by Dahood, is to maintain the consonants of the Masoretic text but to divide them in such a way as to arrive at a form of the Hebrew verb meaning “to serve, worship, adore”; so Zürcher Bibel “I will adore your majesty.”

There are other proposals which involve a change in the consonants of the Masoretic text: (1) change to the perfect of the verb for “to give,” yielding “(which) you placed” (Oesterley, New American Bible); (2) change to the verb meaning “to spread, stretch out”; so New Jerusalem Bible “You who have covered the heavens with Your splendor”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “your glory extends beyond heaven!”

In the face of so many choices, perhaps the best one is to go with the majority of modern translations, that is, “whose glory is told (or, praised).”

Good News Translation “Your praise” means “the praise that people offer you.” In many languages this expression must be recast or it will mean “the praise which you make.” To avoid this wrong interpretation it is often better to say “we praise you” or “people say you are great.”

Above the heavens: the translation of what is literally “over the heavens” (Good News Translation “up to the heavens”) depends on whether this phrase modifies glory (so Revised Standard Version) or the verb (so New English Bible “Thy majesty is praised high as the heavens”). “Up to the heavens” can be translated as the degree of the praise, as in Good News Translation; for example, “People praise you so greatly it reaches the heavens.” One should avoid giving the impression of merely making such a loud noise that it fills the sky, although this is also part of the idea. If, on the other hand, above the heavens describes the glory of God, this line can be “your greatness which is higher than heaven.”

The first line of verse 2 is also variously understood; the Masoretic text has “from the mouth of infants and children you have founded (or, established) strength,” which some interpreters take to mean that God has built his defenses out of the praise offered him by children and infants (Kirkpatrick, Oesterley, Weiser; so King James Version, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The interpretation followed by most modern translations, however, is to connect “from the mouths of infants and children” with what precedes in verse 1, and begin a new sentence with “You have built a stronghold….” This is the best way to handle the text.

Some scholars take bulwark, that is, “stronghold,” to be a reference to the firmament, built to keep out the forces of chaos (Gen 1.6), or else a reference to the highest level of heaven, where God lives. Chanted by the mouth of babes and infants must often be recast in translation to an active expression, and “Your praise” (glory) may be required as the complement of chanted; for example, “children and babies sing about your greatness” or “children and babies sing words telling how great you are.”

The word translated bulwark (literally “strength, might, power”) is translated “praise” by the Septuagint and Vulgate, and in modern times by New American Bible and New International Version. Instead of the verb for “establish (or, build)” in the Hebrew text, New English Bible emends the verb to one which produces the translation “thou hast rebuked the mighty.”

God’s opponents are described with three terms: foes, the enemy, and the avenger (from the verb meaning “to take vengeance”); the last two appear also in 44.16. Avenger refers to one who takes action to pay someone back for real or presumed wrongs. “Opposes you” in Good News Translation makes God the object of the “avenger.” However, the enemy and the avenger may be taken as acting against the psalmist. In this case the rendering may be “you stop my enemies and those who take vengeance against me.” If one interprets enemy and avenger in a generalized sense, then this line may be rendered “you stop the enemies and anyone who tries to harm another in return.” Good News Translation‘s “stop” in verse 2 may wrongly be taken to mean “preventing enemies and avengers from moving about.” The meaning is, however, “to put an end to them” and may be rendered “you destroy enemies and avengers.” It seems best to take all three terms to refer to God’s enemies.

As translated by the Septuagint, the first line of verse 2 of the Hebrew text is quoted in Matthew 21.16.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .