complete verse (Psalm 56:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 56:5:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “The whole day they turn my words;
    the whole day they prepare to injure me.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “They always twist my words
    [Lit.: cause my words to roll in the opposite direction].
    and they are always plotting to hit me.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “What I say is- always -twisted/made-crooked by my enemies.
    What they always are-planning is to-harm me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “My enemies change my word all day,
    they plot always way of doing bad to me!” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Siku zote wanaharibu ambayo ninasema,
    wananiwazia peke yake ya kuniumiza.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “All day long my enemies claim that I said things that I did not say (OR, try to destroy what I am doing);
    they are always thinking of ways to harm me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 56:5 - 56:6

The psalmist describes how his enemies are trying to bring about his ruin. As Revised Standard Version shows (verse 5a), the Hebrew text does not explicitly identify the subject of the verbs in verses 5-6; Good News Translation supplies “My enemies.” The text is none too clear, and in places is evidently corrupt. Some commentators believe that two separate compositions were brought together, with consequent obscurities.

In verse 5 the first line is literally “All the day they hurt my words (or, my doings).” This can be taken in several ways. Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and New Jerusalem Bible take the Hebrew dabar to mean here “matter, affair, thing”; Revised Standard Version my cause; New Jerusalem Bible “my affairs”; and the verb means “to grieve, to cause hurt.” But the verb can be taken to mean “to twist,” and dabar to mean “word,” so it is possible to translate “they twist my words” (Anderson, New International Version, Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible); Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “they hurt me with words.”

The expression All day long in some languages will have too limited a meaning, suggesting that the psalmist’s enemies trouble him only during the hours of daylight. Therefore in some cases it will be more appropriate to say “My enemies make trouble for me all the time.”

Verse 5b is quite straightforward and should offer no translation difficulties; New Jerusalem Bible “they plan only evil against me”; New International Version “they are always plotting to harm me”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “all they think about is how to hurt me.”

Verse 6 in Hebrew begins with two verbs, usually taken to mean “they gather, they hide”; so Good News Translation “They gather in hiding places” and Revised Standard Version They band themselves together, they lurk.

In verse 6b they watch my steps can be better rendered “they spy on my movements” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “they dog my steps” (New English Bible), or “they watch my every move” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Line c of verse 6, “hoping to kill me,” is literally “when they wait for my nefesh” (see 3.2). Good News Translation and others have joined this line to what precedes; Revised Standard Version, Bible en français courant, and New English Bible join it to what follows.

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 .