one who does not hear

In Gbaya, the notion of a person with a daze in Psalm 38:14 is emphasized with yekere, an ideophone that expresses a person’s state of stupor as a result of fatigue or intoxication or due to mental illness.

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

complete verse (Psalm 38:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 38:14:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “I have become like a person who does not hear,
    whose mouth cannot be able to answer.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “I have come to think that it is better not to listen to what anyone says
    (I don’t want to hear any more of it),
    and I no longer answer anyone.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “I just act-deaf to their evil planning and I do- not -answer,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “It’s like I don’t hear and don’t want to reply to anything.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “I came to stay like a person who does not even hear
    who his mouth does not answer word.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Kweli niko kama vile mtu wa uziwi,
    ambaye kinywa chake hakiwezi kujibu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I act like a man who does not answer when people talk to him,
    because he cannot hear anything.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 38:13 - 38:14

The psalmist keeps silent; he pretends not to hear the malicious slander his enemies hurl at him and answers nothing, as though he were deaf and dumb. Good News Translation, instead of “I am like … and cannot,” should have said “I act like a deaf person, and do not hear, like a dumb person, and do not speak.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “I act like a deaf man, as though I cannot hear; as though I were dumb, I don’t open my mouth.” Most languages have special terms for persons who are unable to speak. It is important for users of this volume to remember that a dumb man in this context is one who cannot speak.

Verse 14 essentially repeats the thought of verse 13. The phrase in whose mouth are no rebukes is not easy to understand; the word translated “rebuke” may mean “argument” or “defense,” that is, the psalmist does not attempt to answer the charges brought against him. New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible have “retort”; New Jerusalem Bible “sharp answer”; Bible en français courant “answer”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New English Bible “defense.” Good News Translation has reversed the order of the two lines in this verse.

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 .