Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honour them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation. (Psalm 91: 14-16)
This psalm closes with the sudden appearance of God speaking in the first person. The promises of the psalmist are endorsed and amplified by the author of life.
These are powerful and encouraging promises.
I am concerned by one aspect of the translation. The English uses a future tense that is not, in my opinion, consistent with the original Hebrew.
"Those who love me, I am delivering; I am protecting those who know my character. When they call to me, I am answering them; I am with them in trouble, I am rescuing them and honouring them. With length of life I am satisfying them, and causing them to see my fulfillment."
The Hebrew tense is unfinished, not future. But being unfinished also means it is already underway.
This psalm closes with the sudden appearance of God speaking in the first person. The promises of the psalmist are endorsed and amplified by the author of life.
These are powerful and encouraging promises.
I am concerned by one aspect of the translation. The English uses a future tense that is not, in my opinion, consistent with the original Hebrew.
"Those who love me, I am delivering; I am protecting those who know my character. When they call to me, I am answering them; I am with them in trouble, I am rescuing them and honouring them. With length of life I am satisfying them, and causing them to see my fulfillment."
The Hebrew tense is unfinished, not future. But being unfinished also means it is already underway.
posted by Didymus | 6:02 AM
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