Most High

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, or Greek that is translated as “(God) the Most High” or “Most High God” in English is translated in various way:

Translation commentary on Psalm 77:9 - 77:10

In verse 9a gracious means “kind, compassionate, merciful.” Gracious is often rendered idiomatically; for example, “Has God forgotten to have a white stomach for us?”

Verse 9b is literally “Perhaps in anger he has shut out his compassion?” For compassion see comments on “mercy” in 51.1. In some languages the noun phrases of both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation in anger and his compassion must be replaced by verb phrases; for example, “Has God become angry with us? Does he no longer feel compassion for us?”

Verse 10 is not very clear in Hebrew. The tense of the initial verb “to say” may be understood as And I say; it seems better, however, to take it as a past tense, “And I said.” It is my grief (Good News Translation “What hurts me most”) translates what in the Masoretic text seems to be “my wound” (so Revised Standard Version, Bible en français courant, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation, New American Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Weiser); Briggs takes it to be “I begin,” that is, “My first word (or, thought).” New Jerusalem Bible translates “It is my fault,” which would be an almost unprecedented statement. Dahood derives the form from another Hebrew root and translates “Perhaps his (God’s) sickness is this.” It is better to follow the majority in their understanding of the Hebrew text.

The second line is taken by most to mean the right hand of the Most High has changed, which means, as Good News Translation translates, “God is no longer powerful” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible) or “God no longer acts the same toward us” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy; see New American Bible footnote). The word which is translated “has changed” can be understood to mean “has withered” (Dahood); or it can be taken as a noun, “the years” (King James Version), but very few follow this interpretation now. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says the meaning of this verse is “and I said: my wound (literally, my being wounded) is this: the change of the Most High’s right hand (that is, of his doings).” New English Bible emends the text to get “Has his right hand lost its grasp? Does it hang powerless, the arm of the Most High?” The thought appears to be “God no longer helps, protects, saves us as he used to”; so Bible en français courant “The Most High God no longer acts on our behalf,” which may be recommended as the best translation of this line.

For translation suggestions for the Most High, see 7.17.

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 .