swirling about

In Gbaya, the notion of the surrounding flood that is “swirling about” in Psalms 88:17 is emphasized with nyɛŋtɛŋ, an ideophone referring to a space where the river widens and the water swirls around, or a crowd dancing in a circle; walking in single file.

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

terrors have destroyed me

The Hebrew in Psalm 88:17 that is translated as “(your) terrors have destroyed me” or similar in English is translated in Sar as “The great fear you send in my belly is killing me mámák.” Mámák (or elsewhere mak) is an ideophone (a word that expresses what is perceived by the five senses) that emphasizes the expression. It “means leaving nothing, without restriction, completely (positive or negative). Examples: a fire that is completely extinguished, a paralyzed arm/leg, having eaten without leaving anything, to be really dead. In the figurative sense: to die of fear, to believe with all one’s strength, to be really the child of a person.” (Source: Ngarbolnan Riminan in Le Sycomore 2000, p. 20ff. )

See also die and set their hope in God.

all around / encircling

In Gbaya, the notion of something or someone being completely encircled or surrounded is emphasized in the referenced verses with liŋgɔm, an ideophone that expresses the fact of being all around, of completely encircling.

Note in Exodus 14:27, this refers to the sea returning to its normal depth.

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 88:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 88:17:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “All day they surround me like a flood;
    they have drowned me completely.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “They have besieged me the whole day like a flooding river,
    They cover me up from all directions.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “that always engulfs me like a flood;
    (it) seems-as-if they entrap me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “They surrounded me all day like flood,
    they surrounded me and the way disappeared that I go.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Yamenizunguka kama vile maji, usiku na mchana,
    yamenizunguka pande zote.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I feel as though they surround me like a flood;
    they are closing in on/crushing me from all sides.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 88:15 - 88:18

In verse 15a the psalmist alludes to his life-long illness, which we cannot identify with certainty; he sees it as coming from God (verse 15b). Thy terrors means the terrifying things Yahweh has done; Bible en français courant “the terror that you impose on me”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “I have endured terrible things you have done to me.” Good News Translation “your punishments” may imply that these things happen as a result of sin, but that idea does not occur in the Hebrew of this psalm. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “terrible things” is better. I am helpless translates a word found only here in the Old Testament and whose meaning is uncertain; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “I can’t take it any more!”; New Jerusalem Bible “I am finished”; New International Version “and am in despair.” New Jerusalem Bible, following the Jewish commentator Saadia, translates “wherever I turn.”

The psalmist feels crushed and destroyed (literally “silenced”; so Weiser) by the blows which God, in his anger, rains down on him (verse 16). In line a swept over translates a verb meaning to assail or overwhelm, like a strong wind that blows everything down (see its use in 103.16a). There is no escaping from God’s attacks (verse 17; see similar language in verse 7). They are like enemies all around him who are moving in to kill him.

Verse 18a repeats the thought of verse 8a; although Revised Standard Version (also New English Bible) lover is a possible translation of the Hebrew word, it is not suitable in the context. It may be that the psalmist was referring to his wife; it is certain he would not have meant “lover” in the common meaning of the word today. New International Version has “my companions and loved ones”; Bible en français courant “all my friends”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and New Jerusalem Bible “friend and neighbor”; and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “friends and companions.”

The last line in Hebrew is “my acquaintances darkness,” which Good News Translation and others understand to mean “and darkness is my only companion” (Dahood, Weiser, Cohen, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New American Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy; Dahood takes “Darkness” as a name for Sheol). It does not seem probable that the Hebrew means, as An American Translation and Revised Standard Version have, my companions are in darkness. For languages in which an abstract such as darkness could not naturally be said to be a companion, it is possible to recast this figurative expression to say something like “every place I go there is only darkness” or “wherever I am it is always dark.”

New English Bible places different vowels on the Hebrew consonants to get the meaning “and deprived me of my companions”; this is exactly parallel with line a and may be the meaning intended; but the Masoretic text does make sense, and it is to be preferred.

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 .