complete verse (Psalm 91:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 91:10:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “So there is no evil that will fall on you,
    dangers will not reach closer with you.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “So (result) nothing bad will happen to you,
    no disaster will come near your house.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “no calamity or afflictions/evils/disaster will-come to you (sing.) or to your (sing.) household.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “and then, there will be nothing bad done to you,
    suffering will not come to your home.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Mabaya yoyote hayatakukuta wewe,
    angamizo lolote halitakaribia kwako.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “nothing evil will happen to you;
    no plague will come near your house,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 91:9 - 91:10

Verse 9 in Hebrew begins with ki Because; this may relate the verse either to what precedes (so Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible) or to what follows (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, and others).

Verse 9 in Hebrew is addressed to Yahweh in line a and to an Israelite in line b, with no marking to make the change explicit: “For you, Yahweh, (are) my refuge, the Most High you made your habitation.” New Jerusalem Bible‘s handling of the Masoretic text is not convincing: “Because you took the LORD–my refuge, the Most High–as your haven.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible is better: “Yes, LORD, you are my refuge! You have made the Most High your habitation.” (It is understood, of course, that “you” in the second line is addressed to someone other than “you” in the first line.) Revised Standard Version emends the text to make line a parallel with line b. It seems better to follow Revised Standard Version in line a and read your refuge, as do Good News Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant, and take “Yahweh” as accusative, the object of the verb, and not vocative (that is, not “You, O LORD”).9-10 Hebrew Old Testament Text Project proposes either (1) “for you, O LORD, (are) my refuge…” or (2) “for you, (with your) ‘LORD my refuge’ you have made the Most High your shelter.” The expression you have made the LORD … may be misinterpreted by some translators for whom English is a second language. The meaning is “you have accepted the LORD as the one who defends you” or “you have allowed the LORD to be your defender.”

For the Most High see verse 1; Good News Translation “protector” translates the word which in 90.1 appears as “home.” Here the parallel with refuge (as in verse 2) makes it likely that the meaning is “safeguard, protection,” and not “dwelling place” or habitation. This verse is a reference to the words in verse 2.

In verse 10b scourge translates a word meaning “stroke, blow, plague”; in 38.11 the word is used with the specific meaning of “disease, plague,” but here, in parallel with evil in line a, it probably has the general meaning of “calamity” (New English Bible), “evil” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); New Jerusalem Bible, however, has “disease”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “illness”; and New Jerusalem Bible “plague.” Tent in verse 10b means “dwelling place, home.”

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 .