complete verse (Psalm 139:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 139:6:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “This knowledge surpasses my knowledge,
    it is high for me to find.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Knowledge like this is amazing to me,
    this is very great,
    and I am not able to understand it.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “What you (sing.) know about me (is) so very amazing;
    I can- not -fathom this.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “The way that you know me is a matter I do not understand,
    it is very big much that I understand it.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Hekima yako ya kushangaza sana kwangu,
    ya juu sana, siwezi kuielewa.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I am not able to understand that you know everything about me.
    That is too great for me to really understand.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 139:6

Such knowledge is Yahweh’s complete knowledge of the psalmist, and it is well to make this explicit. So Bible en français courant “That you know me to this degree is too wonderful for me.” The phrase too wonderful for me requires a complement, specifically “… for me to understand.” So Good News Translation has “is too deep”; New Jerusalem Bible is better, “is beyond me,” and New English Bible even better, “is beyond my understanding.”

This meaning of line a is made clear in line b, where the dimension high is applied to God’s knowledge of the psalmist. This may have to be modified in those languages where high does not fit with knowledge. For example, some other kind of dimension may supply the normal adjective, such as “deep,” “wide,” or “large.”

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 .