complete Psalm 24

The following is a complete back-translation of Psalm 24 from Nyaneka:

1 Earth and-what is-in-it is the Lord God’s,
world and-things all which-are-in it.
2 Lord world this he-built on-seas
it-is-carried established on-streams of-water.
3 On-the-mountain of-Lord God who can go-up?
In-sanctuary who can stand?
4 It-is-that-one that-one who-have-cleansed hands
and-who-has good heart,
that-one who-does-not-give life his to-idols
who-does-not swear to-idols.
5 This-one will-receive from-Lord God good blessing
with-righteousness the-salvation of-him from-God.
6 The-generation who seek-him like-this will-live,
those who-adore the-God of-Jacob.
7 Open the-gates, heavy-doors of-heads,
the-gates eternal
so-that King who-is-glorified can-enter.
8 King who-is-glorified is-who? \
Lord God, powerful of-force
Lord powerful in-war.
9 Open the-gates, heavy-doors of-heads,
the-gates eternal
so-that King who-is-glorified can-enter.
10 King who-is-glorified is-who?
Lord God of-the-host of-war,
this-one [is] King who-is-glorified.

Source: Christopher S. Tachick in Wendland / Zogbo 2019, p. 84ff.

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

Translation commentary on Psalm 24:9 - 24:10

The same ritual is followed in verses 9-10 as in verses 7-8: the demand for entry (verse 9), the request for identification (verse 10a), and the final statement (verse 10b-c).

In verse 9b the Masoretic text has the active “lift up,” but a few Hebrew manuscripts, as well as the ancient versions, have the passive “be lifted up,” as in verse 7. Most translations see no need to have a textual footnote as Revised Standard Version does. The meaning in verse 9b is exactly the same as in verse 7b, regardless of the form of the Hebrew verb followed.

The final answer (verse 10b) identifies the great king as “Yahweh of hosts.” The word translated hosts means “army” (see 44.9; 60.10; 68.12; 108.11); in 1 Samuel 17.45 Yahweh is identified as the leader of the Israelite armies (see Psa 89.8). In some places in the Old Testament, hosts is used of the angels, and the idea in the title may well mean that Yahweh is sovereign over all powers, heavenly as well as earthly. The Hebrew word has been transliterated into English and other languages (“Sabaoth”; see King James Version James 5.4); it is variously translated as “almighty, all-powerful, supreme” (see Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Most English translations have used the word “hosts,” which does not mean much to the average Bible reader. LORD of hosts is sometimes rendered “LORD of the armies.” Since the focus is upon the powerfulness of the LORD, the expression may often be rendered, for example, “the LORD who is the strongest of all” or “the LORD who has more power than anyone.”

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 .