Barrick, "Early Versions & Psalm 23"
ETS -- November 2005
© William D. Barrick 2005
4
2a
ynIcE+yBir>y: av,D<â tAaån>Bi
eivj to,pon clo,hj evkei/
me kateskh,nwsen
atwwhc atxyc rtab
ynnyrvy !yatyd tyynhb
)N$w(d )G{rM l(w
]yNYr$N
in loco pascuae ibi
me conlocavit [in
pascuis herbarum
adclinavit me]
b
`ynIlE)h]n:y> tAxånUm. ymeÞ-l[;
evpi. u[datoj
avnapau,sewj evxe,qreye,n
me
ywm ayxyn ym l[
`ynrbd xynd
)x*YN )YM* L(w
]yNrBdN
super aquam
[aquas] refectionis
educavit [enutrivit]
me
Verse 2
2a: The LXX presents a fairly straightforward translation, employing a resumptive construction by means of eivj . . . evkei/ ("unto
. . . there"), which the Gallican Psalter manages to reproduce with one change: pascuae ("of pasture") for clo,hj ("of green grass").
The Hebrew Psalter represents a literal translation of the MT. In the Syriac, a conjunction is added at the beginning of the verse for
smoothness in transition from the preceding verse. Also,
)N$w(d )G{rM
refers to "a large meadow," in an attempt to depict the
pasture as abundant in grass. The verb (
]
yNYr$N
) could be translated "looses me" or "makes me rest" (from
)r$
). In the Aramaic
Targum, the translator offers an explanatory expansion: "In a place of severe thirst among beautiful plants he makes me rest." It is
possible that the Targumist (
tyynh
) derived the Hebrew
tAan>
from
han
("be comely").
14
The Aramaic verb (
ynnyrvy
) is identical to
the Syriac.
2b: evxe,qreye,n in the LXX translation shifts the thought to "he nourishes" (evktre,fw). The Targum doubles the phrase (
ym
xynd ywm ayxyn
) to emphasize the great restfulness or gentleness of the waters themselves, but retains the verb "lead" (
rbd
). The
Syriac Peshitta is a near duplicate of the Targum, minus the doubling of the phrase "waters of rest." In the Vulgate, refectionis
introduces the idea of "restoration" while the Gallican Psalter's verb (educo) can represent either "nourish" or "lead." However, the
Hebrew Psalter's enutrivit (enutrio) unambiguously denotes "nourish." Thus, a number of the ancient versions chose a second possible
14
Interestingly, Aquila's translation makes the same association as the Targum: evn w`raio,thti po,aj katekline, me ("in beautiful grass he makes me
recline")--Field, 2:120.