complete verse (Psalm 39:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 39:8:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Save me from all my mistakes,
    do not turn me into a disgrace to the foolish.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Rescue me from my sin.
    May fools not be able to ridicule me.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Free me from all my sins,
    and do- not -allow me to-be-mocked by the foolish ones.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “Request you help me avoid sin. And don’t allow foolish people to mockingly laugh at me.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Help me from all my sin,
    do not allow fools to laugh at me.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Uniokoe kwa mabaya yangu yote.
    Usinifanye kuwa wa kuchekwa na wapumbavu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Save me from being punished for all the sins that I have committed.
    And do not allow foolish people to make fun of me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Japanese benefactives (-naide)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, -naide (ないで) or “do not (for their sake)” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Japanese benefactives (tasukedashite)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, tasukedashite (助け出して) or “save/help” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Psalm 39:7 - 39:8

With verse 7 the three-line structures come to an abrupt halt. The first six verses stepped up progressively the intensification of the psalmist’s problems of being silent and living a very short life. Verse 7 shifts the thought and at the same time makes a break with the line pattern. The reason why the buildup of intensification ends as the psalmist takes up the theme of sin-suffering in verse 8 is that he is not depicting the progression of it, but rather is asking to be rescued from it.

Realizing that there is no human endeavor in which he can place his hope (for what do I wait, verse 7a; see comments at 25.3; 38.15), the psalmist declares My hope is in thee, which can sometimes be rendered “I look to you with confidence.”

This affirmation of faith leads him to pray for Yahweh to save him from all his sins, which may be a way of asking God to cure him of his disease, which was caused by his sins, or to free him from the power of sin. Or else, as Bible en français courant translates, the meaning may be “Save me from all who betray me” (so New English Bible “all who do me wrong”). This healing would then spare the psalmist the mockery of fools (for fool see comments on 14.1). The scorn of the fool is an expression which can be translated in some languages as “the laughing of persons who have black livers” or “the scorn of gourd-head people.”

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 .