many-colored robes / white

In Gbaya, the idea in Psalm 45:13 of the princess being led into the kingʼs palace in clothing of many colors, would have meant she was a prostitute, a terrible insult to the king. The Gbaya equivalent of what is meant in Hebrew is good clean white clothing. To further emphasize the whiteness of that clothing, the translators used ndáká-ndáká, an ideophone used to express extreme whiteness, something very white.

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

See also very white, teeth are like a flock of ewes and snow (color).

complete verse (Psalm 45:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 45:13:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Very beautiful is a child of the king in her room,
    her cloth is woven with cotton and gold.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “The princess is in the royal palace,
    How beautiful she is.
    Her clothes are woven with gold thread.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “How beautiful you (sing.) (are) inside your (sing.) room.
    Your (sing.) dress has embroidery with gold.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “The woman who the king marries is in his house. She is very beautiful. That woman wears clothes made from gold thread.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “You the bride of the king, you are beautiful in your house,
    the gold is interwoven in your cloth.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Binti mfalme ambaye anaolewa anaingia, mzuri sana,
    nguo yake ya arusi, ina na uzi wa dhahabu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “O king, your bride will be entering the palace wearing beautiful robes made from gold thread.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 45:12 - 45:13

In verse 12 the Hebrew phrase “the daughter of Tyre” refers to the people of that city (see comments on “the daughter of Zion” in 9.14; “daughter of Babylon” in 137.8). However, by omitting the initial “and” one can take it as a vocative and translate “Tyrian princess” (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). The explicit reference to Tyre may imply that she was from there. In verse 12b will sue your favor translates “will soften (or, flatter) your face,” that is, will try to gain her favor.

Revised Standard Version connects the opening words of verse 13 with the end of verse 12 (also New Jerusalem Bible). This is possible but not necessary. The Hebrew phrase that Revised Standard Version translates all kinds of wealth may be taken to describe the bride (so Good News Translation; see next verse). But there are considerable difficulties with the Hebrew text as it now stands, and commentators and translations vary widely.

Verses 13-15 describe the bridal procession into the palace; first The princess comes in; Good News Translation “in the palace” translates the Hebrew word “within,” which Revised Standard Version in her chamber takes to be rather the place where the princess was decked. It is better to translate “The princess enters the palace.” “How beautiful she is” translates a phrase which seems to mean “all glorious” (see Revised Standard Version footnote); but the noun is taken by Revised Standard Version to mean “valuable things” (as in Judges 18.21, “goods”). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project understands “all glorious” to mean “the whole glorious (array)” and translates “all glorious, the king’s daughter enters.” New English Bible, with a change of text, gets “In the palace honour awaits her.” The term princess, if translated literally as in Hebrew “daughter of the king,” will in most cases no longer refer to the bride. Therefore in many languages one must say “the woman the king will marry.”

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 .

Psalm 45: Layer by Layer

The following are presentations by the Psalms: Layer by Layer project, run by Scriptura . The first is an overview and the second an introduction into the exegesis of Psalm 45.


Copyright © Scriptura


Copyright © Scriptura