complete verse (Psalm 68:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 68:23:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “To soak your feet in the blood of your enemies,
    when the tongues of your dogs are eating their portion. ’” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “My people will wash their feet with their blood,
    Even their dogs will get to take their share।’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “so-that they will-be-killed and you (plur.) will-step-all-over their blood
    and your (plur.) dogs will-be-satisfied from licking their blood.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “so that you would walk in their blood
    then your dogs will drink their blood as they want.’” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “muloweke miguu yenu katika damu ya maadui zenu,
    mbwa zenu nao watalamba fungu lao.’
    Makundi ya kufurahia ushindi wa Mungu” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I will do that in order that you may wash your feet in their blood,
    and your dogs can also lap up some of your enemies’ blood.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Psalm 68:21 - 68:23

The psalmist proclaims God’s power to defeat his enemies and God’s promise to his people that they will celebrate his victory over them.

In verse 21a the expression will shatter the heads of his enemies may be taken quite literally in the sense of “smashing” or “breaking” their heads, or else as a vivid way of portraying complete victory over the enemies; see in Revised Standard Version the same verb shatter at 62.3; 110.5, 6.

In verse 21b the hairy crown is parallel to the heads in line a. Some take this phrase to refer to the custom of warriors not cutting their hair while engaged in holy wars. New English Bible has “flowing locks”; New Jerusalem Bible “long-haired skull.”

In verse 22 the verb bring … back does not have an object in Hebrew; Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New American Bible (see Anderson) understand the unexpressed object to be “your enemies”; Toombs and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy take “you” (that is, the Israelites) as the object; New Jerusalem Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible have no object (literally translating the Hebrew); New English Bible and Weiser emend the text (following the Septuagint) to get “I will return.” It seems that “the blood of the enemies” in verse 23 makes it very likely that they, the enemies, are the object in verse 22.

For Bashan see verse 15; its significance here, especially with the depths of the sea in verse 22b, is difficult to assess. Both lines, b and c, seem to represent, perhaps in general terms, the highest peaks and the lowest depths of the earth to which the enemies had fled in order to escape from God (see the same thought, in similar language, in Amos 9.2-3). Others consider Bashan to be a reference to the mythological Dragon (so New English Bible), a symbol of the forces of chaos and destruction.

In verse 23a, for Good News Translation “wade in their blood,” see the similar image in 58.10. The verb in the Masoretic text is mahats “to break” (as in verse 21a), which does not fit the context; Briggs, Oesterley, Weiser, Taylor, Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, and others emend, with the Septuagint, Syriac, and Targum, to rahats “wade” (as in 58.10). But some (New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible de Jérusalem) appeal to an Arabic cognate to get from the Masoretic text the meaning “wade, dabble, churn.”

For the picture of dogs lapping up human blood see 1 Kings 21.19; 22.38. Revised Standard Version translates literally, showing the Hebrew poetic figure of the dogs receiving their share of the victory spoils.

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 .