acrostic in Psalms 9/10

Psalms 9 and 10 constitute one psalm in the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate translations. Accordingly all Orthodox and some Catholic translations also treat it as one psalm. One indication that it might in fact have been intended to be one psalm is the fact that both Psalm 9 and 10 together constitute one acrostic, a literary form in which each verse is started with one of the successive 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. According to Brenda Boerger (in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. ) there are three different reasons for acrostics in the Hebrew text: “for ease of memorization,” the representation “of the full breadth and depth of a topic, all the way from aleph to taw (tav),” and the perception of “the acrostic form as aesthetically attractive.” (p. 191)

While most translations mention the existence of the acrostic in a note or a comment, few implement it in their translation. The Natügu translation is one such exception. Boerger (see above) cites a strong tradition in singing the psalms and the fact that Natügu, like Hebrew, also has 22 possible initial letters as motivating factors to maintain the acrostics in that language.

Click or tap here for both Psalm 9 and 10 successively in Natügu

Psalm 9
1 Awi Yawe! Naglqpx-atwrnr-ngrne nim.
Ale-zvzq da kcng tzkctipxng, x napipxxng.
2 Angrlvzx drtqm.
Bilvzx nim kc tqmyalz-esz’ngr.
3 Brngzvxitx nzyzlukr enqmi rnge mz nzmc-krde nim.
Bz x tao-ngrde nzulrm.
4 Clvetio-lzbqx x rpiq kx tubqx.
Clveq leplz amrlx mz nzwxbuo-krme mz tron, x ayzlu-ngrbzme da badr.
5 Dalr nrlc nzmailzlr kxdrka’-ngrng.
Delc napnanati-ngrn nidr x
Drtqdr na-amrbrtx-alobzme.
6 Doa ngr alwx lcng nzyrkrtrpeng.
Enqmi rngeng trpengr nzdcpx-krdr mz drtwr leplz x mztea nyzdr amznrpe-ngrnq.
7 Eu, a’ Yawe ngini-alom King.
Elalvzx nzwxbuo-krme mz tron nyzm murde nzayzlu-krbzme da mz leplz tubq.
8 Eu, murde nzaclve-krm nrlc tubq-esz’ngr,
Esakrlrngr nzpipx-krm nztubqkr leplz o trtingr.
9 Gct, nim lrpalvc nyz kxnzobqszong.
Glxx kx nim me nzrlakitrkr mzli kx prtzngr da.
10 Gct, krkcng tzkrlzlr nim nzabrtrpzlr drtwrdr bam.
Itoto x doa amrlx kcng tzrtangrtilr nim, trmrbrtru mz drtwrm.
11 Itoto x nigu amrlx napipxbzku mz kxnzmnc-mrbrng da kcng tqale Yawe.
Jerusalem ngi mzteadau nyzde mrkc tqmnc-ngrde. Na-angrlvzku nide.
12 Jzsle krkcng tzrnibqting leplz mz nzayzlu-kr-mopwzle badr da kcng tqtrka tzalelr.
Kxnzmncng mz drtq kxetq sa na-ayzlu-kzpzle badr natq ngr nzyrni-krbzlr bade.
13 Kxetu, nayc mz drtwrm ninge x mcom kxmu nzaetq-krm enqmi rngeng drtqnge.
Kxrpalz, bzkq rlrpx-ngrn nzbz-krnge.
14 Kxarlapx, naelalz-ngrm drtwrnge nzarlapx-krm ninge.
Leplz kxkqlu Jerusalem sa naxlrlr nzglqlz-krnge nim.
15-16 Lalztqmamu! Yawe aelwapx-lzbqngr mz nztubqkr nzayzlu-krbzle da mz leplz.
Murde lr mrkzbleng nztao-moung mz gq kx nzekqtilr.
Mz br kx nzatu-kapqlr, nzdwatr-moung elr.
Mz trtxki kx nzamwilr, nzprtz mou kxdrka’-ngrng elr.
17 Mz nzesablqti-krdr Gct,
Nabz-ngrdr leplz ngr nrlc.
18 Nzmu nakxpung, trtxpnzngr nzmrbrtitrkr drtwr Gct nidr.
Nzobqtipxngr kxtrnzrngiscung trtxpnzngr nzbotxpx-krde.
19 Natulzme Yawe, mz nzaryplapx-krm lr mrkzbleng amrlx.
Na-aelwapx-ngrn kx drtwr kxnzetung amrlx ngi brmrda.
20 Namwxlrtilr x na-amrluelr nim.
Nakrlzlr kx nidr leplz txneng, x sa nabzng.

Psalm 10
1 Opxm kx mncme rlru, Yawe.
Opxm kz kx mnc-kapqq mzli kc tqkxpu-ngrgr.
2 Obqm! Kxdrka’ngr glqpx-lzbqmile nzayoti-krde leplz kxnzkxpung.
Pnz drtwrnge kx sa namwati-lzbq mz br scde.
3 Pipxle kx nzaotikr drtwrde da kxtrka zlwz ngi da kxmrlz mz nzbilvz-zvz-krdele.
Pivxile Yawe x pxtxpx-ngrde nide, a’ amrlzle leplz kx nztrkibrng.
4 Rblx nzrtangrti-krde Gct murde glqpx-lzbq.
Rblx nzrmcti-krde Gct murde mz drtwrde trtxpnzngr Gct.
5 Rlr! Xplrmi-zlwzle nzmncngr kxtrka, a’ pxtxpx-ngrde me pnz drtwrm.
Suti txpwz drtwrde nzyrpalelvz-krde enqmi rdeng.
6 Sc tqrpipele kx, “Trpnzngr da kxtrka kx naprtzm bange,
X trpnzngr nzodatingr ninge kalr.”
7 Sc tqglqlz-zvzle alwx x nzpokiangr.
Natqdeng amrlx ngi dalr nzrpikitingr, nzrpibqtingr, x nzrpilzngr. Rom 3:14
8 Trmrlzu nzmnc-kapq-aepztr-krde mztea mz nzrnibq-krde kx nabzdr lq.
Tu zvz mz nzaenzli-krde ncblo kxesz’nebz.
9 Tqtu-kapq apule laion kc
Tqtcngzpxm mz gq nyzde mz nzkivzti-krde ncblo kx trxplru.
10 Vz zvz nzxplr-zlwz-krde.
Vz zvz nzatrkati-krde nzmnckr kxnzkxpung.
11 Vz-rbr kxdrka’ngr mz nzrpi-krde kx, “Gct trobqpepuu bange.
Wzx a’ trkrlzleu da kcng trka tqalex.”
12 Wztitxpxbz nzwzkr ncblo kxdrka’ngr, kx Yawe, mz nzayrplapx-krm nide.
Wai-ngrn da lc murde bzkq mrbrtr mz drtwrm kxnzkxpung.
13 Wai-ngrdele kxdrka’ngr pxtxpx-ngrde nim.
X rpile kx, “Gct trtxpnzngr nzayrplapx-krde ninge.”
14 Xlqkqamu nimu kxdrka’-ngrng, murde Gct mcle da kxtrka lcng amrlx tqaleamu.
X oliqtile nzokatr-krde kxnzkxpung kcng tzrtangrtilr nide.
Xlrle nidr murde nide kc tqokatr zvz kxnzobqszong.
15 Yawe, katxpxbz zmatq ngr kxdrka’-ngrng.
Yrpalelvz nidr x ayrplapxng mz da kxtrka kcng tzalelr, navz x naesaki zpwx.
16 Yawe, nim King.
Yc zvz nzaclve-krm nrlc.
Yrlqtxpx mz drtc’ nyzm krkcng trnzangiolru nim.
17 Zmatq ngrm etu-esz’ngr, murde krlzpe-kaiq nike narlxtibz kxnztubqng.
Zbq kalvz axplrq nidr x kabzme badr nike nzrlxtilr.
18 Zbo ngr leplz kxnzobqszong x kxnzkxpung, sa na-arlapxbzmeng mz zmatq ngr leplz mz nrlc ka.
Zmwxlr amrlx sa na-aesaki-zvzq.

© 2008, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dutch translation Tot Lof van God by Frans Croese (publ. 2010) also maintained the acrostic.

Click or tap here for the psalms in the Tot Lof van God translation

Psalm 9
Voor de concertmeester: op ‘De dood, voor de zoon’; een muziekstuk op naam van David.

2
Alom en van ganser harte, zo dank ik Jehovah!
AI Uw wonderdaden, van hen wol ik vertellen!
3
Aangaande U zij mijn verheugen, mijn juichen,
Allerhoogste, maar al te graag bezing ik Uw naam!

4
Bij de aftocht van mijn vijanden
vergingen die struikelend van voor Uw aangezicht;
5
U hebt immers het pleit beslecht, mijn rechtsgeding,
gezeten op de zetel van de rechtvaardige Rechter.
6
De heidense volkeren hebt U bestraft,
het wetteloze te gronde gericht,
hun namen hebt U voor altijd en eeuwig gewist.
7
Het is gedaan met de vijand,
verwoesting alom en voor eeuwig,
waar U complete steden hebt uitgerukt.
Vergaan is hun gedachtenis sowieso.
Feitelijk geldt dat voor henzelf evenzo.

8
Jehovah daarentegen zetelt voor immer,
Zijn zetel gereed voor het gericht.
9
Hij is het die de wereld naar gerechtigheid oordeelt;
eerlijk en billijk, zo richt Hij de staten.
10
Gerechtigheid is er voor de verdrukten;
voor hen is Jehovah een burcht,
een burcht in tijden van nood en ontbering.
11
Wie Uw naam werkelijk kennen, vertrouwen op U;
wie naar U werkelijk vorsen, Jehovah, liet U nooit in de steek.

12
Heft dus aan de muziek voor Jehovah die zetelt op Sion,
verhaalt van Zijn handelen onder de volkeren;
13
Hij heeft gedacht aan wie onschuldig bloed te wreken had,
zoals Hij evenmin de noodkreet der misdeelden vergat:
14
‘Ik smeek U Jehovah, wees mij goedgunstig,
zie de ellende, mij berokkend door hen die mij haten,
door mij op te heffen uit de poorten des doods,
15
zodat ik van al Uw roemrijke daden mag vertellen,
daar, in de poorten van Sions dochter.
Ik wil dansen van vreugde om redding door U!’

16
Jammerlijk zijn zij weggezakt, de natiën, in hun zelfgemaakte kuil,
hun voet verward in het net dat zijzelf zo geniepig hadden gezet.
17
Zo zal men weten: Jehovah verschaft daadwerkelijk recht,
de wetteloze raakt verstrikt in hetgeen hij eigenhandig bewerkt.
biggajon, sela

18
Kortom, die wettelozen keren rechtstreeks richting dodenrijk,
al die natiën die God zo gaarne vergeten.
19
Luister, de behoeftige wordt nimmer vergeten,
nooit zal de hoop van wie arm zijn vergaan.

20
O Jehovah, sta toch op,
opdat de macht niet gaat naar ‘mensen slechts’.
Mogen die natiën voor Uw aangezicht worden berecht.
21
O Jehovah, zet hun desnoods het mes op de keel.
De heidense volkeren dienen te weten:
‘mensen slechts’ zijn ook zij. sela

Psalm 10

Maar waarom, Jehovah, staat U zo veraf,
houdt U terug, met daardoor tijden van nood en ontbering?
2
Met gewetenloze hoogmoed brandt men los op de misdeelde,
ze zijn in de ban van ‘listen en lagen’, heel handig bedacht.
3
De gewetenloze geeft hoog op van zijn persoonlijke genoegens,
zijn zegen geldt het winstbejag.
Overduidelijk heeft hij Jehovah veracht,
4
want de gewetenloze, de neus arrogant in de lucht, kijkt nergens naar;
al zijn kwalijke spinsels hebben ‘God is er niet’ als gedachte.

5
En zo gaat hij voort in handel en wandel;
hoe verheven Uw oordelen zijn, ontgaat hem geheel,
allen die hem tegenstaan blaft hij verachtelijk af.
6
Hij zei bij zichzelf: ‘Mij kan toch niets gebeuren,
geen malheur immers, en dat al van geslacht op geslacht.’
7
En vloeken daarbij!
Stijf staat zijn mond van bedrog en intrige,
ongeluk en onrecht liggen paraat onder zijn tong.

8
Zo zet hij zich neer in dicht omheinde hinderlagen,
op verscholen plekken vermoordt hij wie totaal onschuldig is!
Richt zijn spiedend oog zich op zo’n stakker,
9
terwijl hij in zijn schuilplaats op de loer ligt,
als een leeuw in het kreupelhout, op de loer om een ellendige te vangen,
door zijn vangnet dicht te trekken vangt hij de ellendige.
10
Die zakt dan gebroken in elkaar,
gevallen, ten prooi aan zijn brute kracht – de stakkers.
11
Terwijl hij bij zichzelf feitelijk zei:
‘God? Die is het allang vergeten!
Die heeft Zijn gezicht verborgen, heeft nooit iets gezien.’

12
U echter wil ik smeken, Jehovah, sta toch op!
O God, hef op Uw hand,
vergeet niet wie ellendig zijn.
13
Waartoe leidt die gewetenloze godsverachting wel niet,
door wie bij zichzelf zei dat U ‘nergens naar kijkt’?
14
Vast en zeker zag U het, want die ellende en ontsteltenis
neemt U toch waar om het zelf ter hand te nemen?
Op U immers verlaat zich de stakker,
U was de wees toch tot hulp?
15
Welnu, verbreek de sterke arm van we doortrapt gewetenloos is,
met daarbij tevens het kwaad;
speur diens wetteloze sporen na tot U echt niets meer vindt
16
– Jehovah is Koning voor altijd en eeuwig,
de heidense volkeren zullen voorgoed zijn vergaan van Zijn aarde.
17
Zeker zult U luisteren, Jehovah, naar wat die misdeelden verlangen,
U bemoedigt hen, leent hun aandachtig het oor,
18
om recht te verschaffen aan de wees en aan de gekwelde.
Niet langer zal men dan nog proberen
om, waar ook op aarde, gewone mensen te terroriseren.

With thanks to Thamara van Eijzeren

complete verse (Psalm 9:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 9:7:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Jehovah is reigning forever;
    he has established his kingship seat of judgment.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “The LORD will rule forever.
    He has prepared His throne for rendering judgment.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “But you (sing.), LORD, reign without end,
    your (sing.) throne (is) now ready to-judge.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “God is King forever and ever. He has already prepared the place to judge people.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “The LORD rule the world forever.
    He rules the world with his great chair, so that he will judge the matters.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Lakini BWANA anatwala milele na milele,
    ameweka kiti chake cha enzi,
    katika makao ya kuhukumia.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “But Yahweh rules forever.
    He judges people while he sits on his throne to judge people,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

throne (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-za (御座), mi-kura (みくら) (Psalm 7:7), or mi-kurai (御位) (Psalm 113:5) in the referenced verses, all relating to the “throne (or: high seat) (of God)”.

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

See also throne (of God).

pronoun for "God"

God transcends gender, but most languages are limited to grammatical gender expressed in pronouns. In the case of English, this is traditionally confined to “he” (or in the forms “his,” “him,” and “himself”), “she” (and “her,” “hers,” and “herself”), and “it” (and “its” and “itself”).

Modern Mandarin Chinese, however, offers another possibility. Here, the third-person singular pronoun is always pronounced the same (tā), but it is written differently according to its gender (他 is “he,” 她 is “she,” and 它/牠 is “it” and their respective derivative forms). In each of these characters, the first (or upper) part defines the gender (man, woman, or thing/animal), while the second element gives the clue to its pronunciation.

In 1930, after a full century with dozens of Chinese translations, Bible translator Wang Yuande (王元德) coined a new “godly” pronoun: 祂. Chinese readers immediately knew how to pronounce it: tā. But they also recognized that the first part of that character, signifying something spiritual, clarified that each person of the Trinity has no gender aside from being God.

While the most important Protestant and Catholic Chinese versions respectively have opted not to use 祂, some Bible translations do and it is widely used in hymnals and other Christian materials. Among the translations that use 祂 to refer to “God” were early versions of Lü Zhenzhong’s (呂振中) version (New Testament: 1946, complete Bible: 1970). R.P. Kramers (in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 152ff. ) explains why later versions of Lü’s translation did not continue with this practice: “This new way of writing ‘He,’ however, has created a minor problem of its own: must this polite form be used whenever Jesus is referred to? Lü follows the rule that, wherever Jesus is referred to as a human being, the normal tā (他) is written; where he is referred to as divine, especially after the ascension, the reverential tā (祂) is used.”

In Kouya, Godié, Northern Grebo, Eastern Krahn, Western Krahn, and Guiberoua Béte, all languages of the Kru family in Western Africa, a different kind of systems of pronouns is used (click or tap here to read more):

In that system one kind of pronoun is used for humans (male and female alike) and one for natural elements, non-liquid masses, and some spiritual entities (one other is used for large animals and another one for miscellaneous items). While in these languages the pronoun for spiritual entities used to be employed when referring to God, this has changed into the use of the human pronoun.

Lynell Zogbo (in The Bible Translator 1989, p. 401ff. ) explains in the following way: “From informal discussions with young Christians especially, it would appear that, at least for some people, the experience and/or concepts of Christianity are affecting the choice of pronoun for God. Some people explain that God is no longer ‘far away,’ but is somehow tangible and personal. For these speakers God has shifted over into the human category.”

In Kouya, God (the Father) and Jesus are referred to with the human pronoun ɔ, whereas the Holy Spirit is referred to with a non-human pronoun. (Northern Grebo and Western Krahn make a similar distinction.)

Eddie Arthur, a former Kouya Bible translation consultant, says the following: “We tried to insist that this shouldn’t happen, but the Kouya team members were insistent that the human pronoun for the Spirit would not work.”

In Burmese, the pronoun ko taw (ကိုယ်တော်) is used either as 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he, him, his) reference. “This term clearly has its root in the religious language in Burmese. No ordinary persons are addressed or known by this pronoun because it is reserved for Buddhist monks, famous religious teachers, and in the case of Christianity, the Trinity.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 202ff. )

In Thai, the pronoun phra`ong (พระองค์) is used, a gender-neutral pronoun which must refer to a previously introduced royal or divine being. Similarly, in Northern Khmer, which is spoken in Thailand, “an honorific divine pronoun” is used for the pronoun referring to the persons of the Trinity (source: David Thomas in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 445 ). In Urak Lawoi’, another language spoken in Thailand, the translation often uses tuhat (ตูฮัด) — “God” — ”as a divine pronoun where Thai has phra’ong even though it’s actually a noun.” (Source for Thai and Urak Lawoi’: Stephen Pattemore)

The English “Contemporary Torah” addresses the question of God and gendered pronouns by mostly avoiding pronouns in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (unless God is referred to as “lord,” “father,” “king,” or “warrior”). It does that by either using passive constructs (“He gave us” vs. “we were given”), by using the adjective “divine” or by using “God” rather than a pronoun.

Some Protestant and Orthodox English Bibles use a referential capitalized spelling when referring to the persons of the Trinity with “He,” “His,” “Him,” or “Himself.” This includes for instance the New American Standard Bible or The Orthodox New Testament, but most translations do not. Two other languages where this is also done (in most Bible translations) are the closely related Indonesian and Malay. In both languages this follows the language usage according to the Qur’an, which in turn predicts that usage (see Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1991, p. 442ff. and The Bible Translator 1997, p. 433ff. ).

See also first person pronoun referring to God.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Gender of God .

Translation: Chinese

在现代汉语中，第三人称单数代词的读音都是一样的（tā），但是写法并不一样，取决于性别以及是否有生命，即男性为“他”，女性为“她”，动物、植物和无生命事物为“它”（在香港和台湾的汉语使用，动物则为“牠”）。这些字的部首偏旁表明了性别（男人、女人、动物、无生命事物），而另一偏旁通常旁提示发音。

到1930年为止，基督教新教《圣经》经过整整一百年的翻译已经拥有了十几个译本，当时的一位圣经翻译者王元德新造了一个“神圣的”代词“祂”，偏旁“礻”表示神明。一般汉语读者会立即知道这字的发音是tā，而这个偏旁表示属灵的事物，因此他们明白这个字指出，三位一体的所有位格都没有性别之分，而单单是上帝。

然而，最重要的新教圣经译本（1919年的《和合本》）和天主教圣经译本（1968年的《思高圣经》）都没有采用“祂”；虽然如此，许多其他的圣经译本采用了这个字，另外还广泛出现在赞美诗和其他基督信仰的书刊中。（资料来源：Zetzsche）

《吕振中译本》的几个早期版本也使用“祂”来指称“上帝”；这个译本的《新约》于1946年译成，整部《圣经》于1970年完成。克拉默斯（Kramers）指出：“‘他’的这种新写法（即‘祂’）产生了一个小问题，就是在指称耶稣的时候，是否一律使用这个敬语代词？《吕振中译本》遵循的原则是，在称呼耶稣这个人的时候，用一般的‘他’，而在称呼耶稣神性的时候，特别是升天之后的耶稣，则用尊称‘祂’。”

Translator: Simon Wong

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“establish/erect”)

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, tate-rare-ru (立てられる) or “establish/erect” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Psalm 9:7 - 9:8

The beginning of verse 7 should be marked by a contrast: the enemies and the cities perish, but the LORD remains forever.

The LORD is again pictured in his role as ruler and judge of all people. Sits enthroned translates the verb “to sit”; see comments on “thy seat” in 7.7. Here the LORD’s throne is thought of as being in heaven (contrast with verse 11, below). The verb “to sit” may have the more general sense of “dwell, abide, remain,” and that is how the Septuagint has translated it here; so New Jerusalem Bible “But the LORD abides forever.”

The verb translated he has established means “make firm, set up”–see 7.9; 8.3.

For judgment means “in order to judge (humankind).”

Verses 7-8 are a semantic unit in which the images of throne and judgment in verse 7 are carried forward into verse 8. In the latter, as in verse 6, there is a focusing taking place. This focusing is upon the manner of God’s judgment, with righteousness. In order to make clear the relation of verse 8 to verse 7, a connective is needed in English; for example, verse 8 can begin with “In fact, God rules the world with righteousness” or “Furthermore, God judges….” Another way is to begin verse 7 “But not only is the LORD on his throne” and begin verse 8 “he even judges the world…” or “he also rules the world….”

The two lines in verse 8 are parallel and synonymous; the two verbs for “to judge” are those used in 7.8; the world is expanded with the peoples; and righteousness and equity are identical in meaning. A common English idiom for saying the two is “fairly and squarely.” Righteousness and equity are expressed idiomatically in some languages in a negative manner; for example, “he does not judge with two mouths” or “he does not judge with money.” Rendered positively, “he judges with a true word” or “he judges with one mouth.”

Some translations (New English Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible) have the two verbs in verse 8 in the future tense, “He will rule … he will judge.” This may be followed by the translator, but the present tense seems preferable.

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 .

Psalms 9 and 10: Layer by Layer

The following are presentations by the Psalms: Layer by Layer project, run by Scriptura . The first is an overview, the second an introduction into the poetry, and the third an introduction into the exegesis of Psalm 9.


Copyright © Scriptura


Copyright © Scriptura


Copyright © Scriptura

The overview in French (click or tap here to view the video):


Copyright © Scriptura

The introduction into Psalm 9/10’s poetry in French (click or tap here to view the video):


Copyright © Scriptura

Psalm 9 as classical Chinese poetry

John Wu Ching-hsiung (1899-1986) was a native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, a renowned jurist who studied in Europe and the United States, and served as a professor of law at Soochow University, as a judge and the Acting President of the Shanghai Provisional Court, and as the Vice President of the Commission for the Drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of China, before becoming the Minister of the Republic of China to the Holy See. Wu has written extensively, not only on law but also on Chinese philosophy, and has also written his autobiography, Beyond East and West, in English. Wu was a devout Catholic and had a personal relationship with Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975). Wu began translating the the Psalms in 1938, and was encouraged by Chiang to translate the entire New Testament, which he corrected in his own handwriting. (…) John Wu Ching-hsiung’s translation of the Psalms (first draft in 1946, revised in 1975) was translated into Literary Chinese in the form of poetic rhyme, with attention paid to the style of writing. According to the content and mood of the different chapters of the original psalm, Wu chose Chinese poetic forms such as tetrameter, pentameter, heptameter [4, 5 or 7 syllables/Chinese characters per stanza], and the [less formal] Sao style, and sometimes more than two poetic forms were used in a single poem. (Source: Simon Wong)

John Wu Ching-hsiung himself talks about his celebrated and much-admired (though difficult-to-understand) translation in his aforementioned autobiography: (Click or tap here to see)

“Nothing could have been farther from my mind than to translate the Bible or any parts of it with a view to publishing it as an authorized version. I had rendered some of the Psalms into Chinese verse, but that was done as a part of my private devotion and as a literary hobby. When I was in Hongkong in 1938, I had come to know Madame H. H. Kung [Soong Ai-ling], and as she was deeply interested in the Bible, I gave her about a dozen pieces of my amateurish work just for her own enjoyment. What was my surprise when, the next time I saw her, she told me, “My sister [Soong Mei-ling] has written to say that the Generalissimo [Chiang Kai-shek] likes your translation of the Psalms very much, especially the first, the fifteenth, and the twenty-third, the Psalm of the Good Shepherd!”

“In the Autumn of 1940, when I was in Chungking, the Generalissimo invited me several times to lunch with him and expressed his appreciation of the few pieces that he had read. So I sent him some more. A few days later I received a letter from Madame Chiang [Soong Mei-ling], dated September 21, 1940, in which she said that they both liked my translation of the few Psalms I had sent them. ‘For many years,’ she wrote, ‘the Generalissimo has been wanting to have a really adequate and readable Wen-li (literary) translation of the Bible. He has never been able to find anyone who could undertake the matter.’ The letter ends up by saying that I should take up the job and that ‘the Generalissimo would gladly finance the undertaking of this work.’

“After some preliminary study of the commentaries, I started my work with the Psalms on January 6, 1943, the Feast of the Epiphany.

“I had three thousand years of Chinese literature to draw upon. The Chinese vocabulary for describing the beauties of nature is so rich that I seldom failed to find a word, a phrase, and sometimes even a whole line to fit the scene. But what makes such Psalms so unique is that they bring an intimate knowledge of the Creator to bear upon a loving observation of things of nature. I think one of the reasons why my translation is so well received by the Chinese scholars is that I have made the Psalms read like native poems written by a Chinese, who happens to be a Christian. Thus to my countrymen they are at once familiar and new — not so familiar as to be jejune, and not so new as to be bizarre. I did not publish it as a literal translation, but only as a paraphrase.

“To my greatest surprise, [my translation of the Psalms] sold like hot dogs. The popularity of that work was beyond my fondest dreams. Numberless papers and periodicals, irrespective of religion, published reviews too good to be true. I was very much tickled when I saw the opening verse of the first Psalm used as a headline on the front page of one of the non-religious dailies.”


A contemporary researcher (Lindblom 2021) mentions this about Wu’s translation: “Wu created a unique and personal work of sacred art that bears the imprint of his own admitted love and devotion, a landmark achievement comparable to Antoni Gaudi’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. Although its use is still somewhat limited today, it continues to attract readers for the aforementioned qualities, and continues to be used in prayers and music by those who desire beauty and an authentic Chinese-sounding text that draws from China’s ancient traditions.”

The translation of Psalm 9 from the 1946 edition is in heptameter (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either and underlined proper names):

神與人

我欲一心頌雅瑋。縷述眞神一切妙。 歡忭鼓舞主懷中。心歌腹詠至尊號。 吾敵已潰退。紛紛仆主前。 公義已見伸。睿斷洵無愆。 主已懲萬邦。消滅諸悖逆。塗抹不肖名。終古歸沈寂。 敵國城邑已荒蕪。樓臺亭閣悉成墟。繁華事散逐輕塵。欲尋遺跡蕩無存。 恆存惟有天主國。雅瑋皇座永不移。 審判世界與萬民。聰明正直豈有私。 困苦無告蒙哀矜。主是窮民避難城。 又為聖徒之保障。何曾孤負有心人。 西溫居民當絃歌。暢向億兆宣神蹟。 無辜之血主常恤。冤屈之人必得直。
雅瑋憐我苦。拯吾出兇門。 我在西溫門前立。中心感主發頌聲。
敵人掘穽自陷身。敵人布網自絆足。 雅瑋靈隲實昭著。陰謀詭計徒自辱。 世上忘主眾不肖。終須相將沈幽冥。 窮人豈能長被遺。鮮民之望終有成。 寧容人類勝眞宰。願主興起鞫頑民。 務使世間傲慢子。自知僅屬血氣倫。

Transcription into Roman alphabet:

shén yǔ rén

wǒ yù yī xīn sòng yǎ wěi 。 Lǚ shù zhēn shén yī qiē miào 。 huān biàn gǔ wǔ zhǔ huái zhōng 。 xīn gē fù yǒng zhì zūn hào 。 wú dí yǐ kuì tuì 。 fēn fēn pū zhǔ qián 。 gōng yì yǐ jiàn shēn 。 ruì duàn xún wú qiān 。 zhǔ yǐ chěng wàn bāng 。 xiāo miè zhū bèi nì 。 tú mǒ bù xiāo míng 。 zhōng gǔ guī shěn jì 。 dí guó chéng yì yǐ huāng wú 。 lóu tái tíng gé xī chéng xū 。 fán huá shì sàn zhú qīng chén 。 yù xún yí jì dàng wú cún 。 héng cún wéi yǒu tiān zhǔ guó 。 yǎ wěi huáng zuò yǒng bù yí 。 shěn pàn shì jiè yǔ wàn mín 。 cōng míng zhèng zhí qǐ yǒu sī 。 kùn kǔ wú gào mēng āi jīn 。 zhǔ shì qióng mín bì nán chéng 。 yòu wéi shèng tú zhī bǎo zhàng 。 hé zēng gū fù yǒu xīn rén 。 xī wēn jū mín dāng xián gē 。 chàng xiàng yì zhào xuān shén lì 。 wú gū zhī xuè zhǔ cháng xù 。 yuān qū zhī rén bì dé zhí 。
yǎ wěi lián wǒ kǔ 。 zhěng wú chū xiōng mén 。 wǒ zài xī wēn mén qián lì 。 zhōng xīn gǎn zhǔ fā sòng shēng 。
dí rén jué jǐng zì xiàn shēn 。 dí rén bù wǎng zì bàn zú 。 yǎ wěi líng cí shí zhāo zhù 。 yīn móu guǐ jì tú zì rǔ 。 shì shàng wàng zhǔ zhòng bù xiāo 。 zhōng xū xiāng jiāng shěn yōu míng 。 qióng rén qǐ néng cháng bèi yí 。 xiān mín zhī wàng zhōng yǒu chéng 。 níng róng rén lèi shèng zhēn zǎi 。 yuàn zhǔ xīng qǐ jú wán mín 。 wù shǐ shì jiān ào màn zǐ 。 zì zhī jǐn shǔ xuè qì lún 。

With thanks to Simon Wong.