complete verse (Psalm 144:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 144:8:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “whose mouths are filled with lies,
    whose right hand is fraudulent.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “They are ones who speak lies.
    They speak lies even though they swear to tell the truth.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “These they do -not -tell the truth and lie even in their swearing.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “whose mouths are full of false matters,
    who swear with false matter.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “ambao wanasema ya uongo,
    ambao wanaongopa wakati wanaapa.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “who always tell lies.
    Even in a courtroom where they swear to tell the truth
    they tell lies.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 144:5 - 144:8

These verses, in which the psalmist asks for Yahweh’s help, owe much to the figures used in 18.9-17. For verse 5a see 18.9a, where the same language is used. Here Good News Translation has followed two Hebrew manuscripts (and the Syriac and Targum) “the heavens,” and not the Masoretic text “your heavens” (see Revised Standard Version). For verse 5b see 104.32b.

For verse 6 see 18.14. It should be noticed that here Revised Standard Version them in both lines can only refer to the mountains of verse 5b. Of course the psalmist is talking about Yahweh’s “enemies.”

Verse 7a-b uses the language of 18.16; the verb translated here rescue has this sense only here and in verses 10, 11. It is classified here as an Aramaism; elsewhere in the Old Testament it means “to open (the mouth).” The many waters is here, as often, a figure of the distress and danger the psalmist is threatened with by his enemies, the aliens, that is, hostile forces from other countries. It should be noticed there are two synonymous verbs in verse 7b, rescue and deliver. Good News Translation has restructured the sentence, with one verb for each object. Hand of aliens and Good News Translation‘s “power of foreigners” may have to be recast in some languages to say, for example, “… from foreign tribes that attack me.”

The psalmist calls his enemies liars (verse 8a); whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood in line b means they “lie even under oath.” It was the custom on taking a vow to raise the right hand to heaven, a symbolic gesture calling on God to attest to the truth of the statement to be made (see 106.26). New International Version “whose right hands are deceitful” is less than natural. Good News Translation‘s “under oath,” which suggests a courtroom procedure, may have to be recast in some languages to say, for example, “who lie when they swear they are telling the truth.”

It should be noticed that verses 7c-8 (which appear also as verse 11b-d) are omitted by New English Bible as a later addition to the text; there is, however, no textual support for this omission.

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 .