complete verse (Psalm 55:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 55:15:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Allow death to take my enemies suddenly;
    let them enter in the grave while they are alive
    for an evil is in their midst.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “May death suddenly come and take my enemies,
    May they descend alive into hell.
    For their hearts are full of evil.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “May-it-be that my enemies will- just -die at-once.
    May-it-be that they will-be-gobbled-up/devoured alive by the burial-place/grave.
    For wickedness (is) there with them and in their dwelling-place.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “You (sing.) God let my enemies die quickly,
    let them be buried alive to go to the land of the dead,
    because the bad thing staying in their hearts.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Kifo kiwakute maadui zangu,
    washuke kwa wafu wakiwa hai,
    kwa maana ubaya umejijenga katika mioyo yao.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I desire/ hope that my enemies will die suddenly;
    while they are still young, cause them to go down to the place where the dead people are.
    They think evil things.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 55:15

The psalmist now prays that sudden death come upon his enemies, like that which came upon Korah and his family, who were swallowed up by the earth and gulped down alive into Sheol (Num 16.31-33).

In line a there are two ways in which the Hebrew text may be divided and understood: “desolations be upon them” (see Revised Standard Version footnote) or “may death come upon them” (Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version and most others). The psalmist wants them to die at once, before their appointed time. Bible en français courant says it well: “May death take my enemies by surprise.”

For comments on Sheol see 6.5. Line b intensifies the request, or malediction, of line a, namely, that his enemies die suddenly and unexpectedly. The form of the request is not logical, inasmuch as Sheol is the world of the dead, and its inhabitants cannot be alive in the normal meaning of the term. But it would be disastrous for a translator to try to make logical prose out of an emotional poetic line, so something straightforward like Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and others is the only way to translate it.

Line c in the Masoretic text is “for evils (are) in their homes, in their insides (or, in their midst)”; so Good News Translation and the others, including Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“A” decision). Revised Standard Version follows a conjecture which is not recommended. New Jerusalem Bible has “For where they dwell, there evil is.” In some languages it will not be natural to speak of evil as occupying space without some adjustments. For example, one may say “Their homes and their hearts are evil” or “They live in evil homes and think evil thoughts in their hearts (minds, or innermosts).”

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 .