complete verse (Psalm 71:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 71:6:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Beginning when I was born, I have been relying on You;
    You brought me out from the womb of my mother,
    and I will worship you all the times.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Right from birth my confidence has been in You.
    From my mother’s womb
    You have been caring for me.
    So I will always praise you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “From my birth I have-been-trusting in you (sing.) and you (sing.) have-protected me.
    I will-praise you (sing.) without end.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “I put my heart on you, from the day I was born,
    you took care of me really from the day my mother gave birth to me.
    I will always praise you.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Nakutumaini wewe kutoka kuzaliwa kwangu,
    ni wewe ulitoa tumboni mwa mama yangu.
    Nitakusifu milele wewe.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I have depended on you all my life;
    you have taken care of me since the day that I was born,
    so I will always praise you.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 71:6

Using language that recalls 22.9-10, the psalmist declares that all his life, from his birth, he has known God’s protection and care. Line a in Hebrew is literally “Upon you I have depended from the womb.” It is doubtful that the psalmist meant to say that before he was born he already consciously trusted in God, as New Jerusalem Bible (“While yet unborn, I depended on You”) and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy (“while still in my mother’s womb I already depended on you”) seem to imply. Some languages will prefer an idiomatic rendering such as “Ever since I came out of my mother’s womb, I have placed my heart on you.”

In line b there is a word in Hebrew whose meaning is not certain; the line is literally “from my mother’s womb you gozi,” which in form is the participle of a verb otherwise unknown. Perhaps it means “cut off,” that is, the umbilical cord. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “you took me from my mother’s womb” (also New English Bible footnote). New Jerusalem Bible translates “You were my support,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “you have been my portion.” Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and others follow the Septuagint and Vulgate. Several prefer to emend to ʾuzi “my strength.” Briggs prefers to emend to gohi (“who took me out”), as in 22.9. Revised Standard Version and New International Version translate as though the Hebrew were identical with 22.9a, which it is not. In light of the difficulty in determining the precise meaning of the Hebrew text, the translator may choose to follow New Jerusalem Bible and Good News Translation, “you have taken care of me…,” or else render as Revised Standard Version has done, that God acted as midwife at the psalmist’s birth.

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 .