namely, to express those words which, although not written in the Hebrew, are implied, and which in the English are necessary in order fully to bring out the meaning of the Hebrew. An edition of the Psalms, entitled The Book of Psalms in Hebrew, metrically arranged, with Selections from the Various Readings of Kennicott and De Rossi, and from the Ancient Versions, by J. ROGERS, M.A., 1848, has been taken as the basis of this version. The metrical arrangement has been almost constantly adhered to. The text is Van der Hooght's. In the margin of this edition are found certain select various readings, there placed because the Editor considered them "decidedly preferable" to the text. (Preface, page vi.) These select various readings have been generally adopted in this version; also a few others, not included amongst them, namely in Psalm x. 10, cxix. 149, and cxxxix. 20. Due notice is given of these changes in the text, by affixing an asterisk. * A majority of them are adopted in the authorized version. As regards the titles prefixed to the Psalms, this Editor re marks: "They are found in the text in by far the greatest number of Hebrew MSS." Appendix II., page 154. The Jewish division of the Book of Psalms into five Parts, here adopted, turns upon a Doxology found at the end of Psalms xli., lxxii., lxxxix., and cvi. The seven alphabetical Psalms, Psalms xxv., xxxiv., xxxvii., cxi., cxii., cxix., cxlv., are all carefully marked out as such, so that every reader may be aware when he is reading one of these inspired acrostics. The Hebrew word, expressed in English letters, Selah, is so expressed on account of the difficulty of knowing how to translate it. It seems to be a mere musical sign, not affecting, in any degree, the sense of the passage where it occurs, although often coinciding with a pause in the sense. It does not occur between Psalm lxxxix. and Psalm cxl. The only other book of Scripture in which it is found is Habakkuk, where it occurs in a similar kind of composition, addressed, after the manner of Psalms iv. and vi., "To the chief singer (or musician) on my stringed instruments" (Hab. iii. 19). In reference to uniformity of translation, it ought perhaps to be remarked that absolute uniformity, that is, uniformity at all times, is impossible. A version carried out on this principle would not be readable: it would not be sense; or if sense, often manifestly a wrong sense. A translation that needs to be translated is a bad translation. For this reason uniformity has often been abandoned. Nevertheless, it is to be feared that the effort to preserve uniformity has occasioned, and that in not a few passages, a considerable amount of stiffness. This Edition, with Notes, is a revision of the Edition without Notes that appeared in 1860. THE PSALMS. PART I. PSALM I. 1 BLESSED is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor sitteth in the seat of scorners; 2 But his delight is in the law of Jehovah, And in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Yea, whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.b a Jer. xvii. 7, 8; Ps. xcii. 12-15. b Josh. i. 8; Gen. xxxix. 3. B Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." 6 For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked shall perish. PSALM II. 1 WHY do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah and against his anointed 3 4 one, saying, "Let us break their bonds asunder, "And cast away their cords from us.' He that sitteth in the heavens laugheth: My Lord hath them in derision. a Ps. civ. 35; Prov. ii. 22. b Ps. xxxvii. 18; Nahum i. 7. c Acts iv. 24-28. |