{"id":44206,"date":"2023-01-14T13:48:22","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T21:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.timesandseasons.org\/?p=44206"},"modified":"2023-01-14T13:48:22","modified_gmt":"2023-01-14T21:48:22","slug":"robert-alters-translation-of-the-hebrew-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2023\/01\/robert-alters-translation-of-the-hebrew-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Alter’s Translation of the Hebrew Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve always wondered how well the talks of different general authorities translate to other languages.\u00a0 For example, I can imagine that a lot of the alliteration that a few apostles adopt in their addresses doesn\u2019t carry over.\u00a0 And I know from my work on translating Spanish hymns that translating between languages is an inexact science and involves compromises to keep certain aspects of the original language \u2013 rhyme, meter, literal meaning of words, nuances conveyed in idioms, etc.\u00a0 It\u2019s almost impossible to carry all of those together across from one language to another.\u00a0 Largely because of this, translations of the Bible have proliferated, with each trying to convey the meaning of the texts from the original languages in different ways.\u00a0 For example, Robert Alter\u2019s English translation of the Hebrew Bible focuses on carrying the literary forms of the Hebrew texts.\u00a0 In a recent interview at the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk<\/em>, Robert Alter<\/a> discussed his translation.<\/p>\n

Robert Alter is a noted scholar who received his doctorate from Harvard University and is a\u00a0Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature. \u00a0His doctorate was in modern comparative literature, but he noted in the interview that: \u201cas an undergraduate I spent three years studying biblical texts rigorously with\u00a0H. L. Ginsburg, one of the leading philological scholars of the Bible of his generation.\u201d\u00a0 His familiarity with literary forms and biblical texts came together to lead to his translation:<\/p>\n

In the late 1970s I published an article on the need for a literary perspective on biblical narrative. That\u00a0turned into a book<\/a>\u00a0on the subject,\u00a0followed by another<\/a>\u00a0on biblical poetry. \u2026<\/p>\n

In the 1990s, a New York editor proposed that I do a book that would involve Genesis. I proceeded to do\u00a0my own translation<\/a>\u00a0as a kind of experiment. When it turned out better than I had hoped, I went on to do another book of the Bible and eventually translated the whole Hebrew Bible.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

His literary perspective led to a particular emphasis on form within the Bible while he was translating:<\/p>\n

What may make my translation unique is the attention to the literary form of the Hebrew, which I have tried to convey in English to the extent that the differences between the two languages will allow. I believe this is crucial to a perception of what the Hebrew writers are saying about God, human nature, history, the realm of morality, and much more.<\/p>\n

For reasons we cannot fathom, many of them were brilliant poets and masters of narrative art, and it is through their artistry that they chose to convey their understanding of the monotheistic vision. The artistry is important for seeing the subtlety and depth of what they are saying. \u2026<\/p>\n

The sundry translations by committee done in the second half of the 20th century are blind to all this.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Beyond just conveying meaning, Alter\u2019s translation seeks to convey the artistry of the authors in the Hebrew Bible.<\/p>\n

In the interview, Alter shared one example of how his translation differs from many of the other modern translations.\u00a0 As he wrote:<\/p>\n

My effort to get at the precise original meanings of Hebrew terms may have at some points had a destabilizing effect.<\/p>\n

In the 23rd Psalm, for example, everyone follows the choice of verb in the KJV, \u201cThou anointest my head with oil.\u201d There is only one biblical verb for \u201canoint,\u201d which is cognate with the noun from which we get \u201cmessiah.\u201d It is used only for the consecration of high priests and dedication to the throne of kings.<\/p>\n

The verb actually used,\u00a0dashen, means, roughly, \u201cto make luxuriant.\u201d Thus, there is no sacerdotal, political, or messianic suggestion in the Hebrew, and I rendered it as \u201cmoisten,\u201d reflecting the here-and-now emphasis of the Hebrew\u2014rubbing the head with fine olive oil is a feature of the good life, as in Homer.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The result, Robert Alter\u2019s translation of Psalm 23, is this:<\/p>\n

The Lord is my shepherd,<\/p>\n

I shall not want.<\/p>\n

In grass meadows He makes me lie down,<\/p>\n

by quiet waters guides me.<\/p>\n

My life He brings back.<\/p>\n

He leads me on pathways of justice<\/p>\n

for His name’s sake.<\/p>\n

Though I walk in the vale of death’s shadow,<\/p>\n

I fear no harm,<\/p>\n

for You are with me.<\/p>\n

Your rod and Your staff\u2014<\/p>\n

it is they that console me.<\/p>\n

You set out a table before me<\/p>\n

in the face of my foes.<\/p>\n

You moisten my head with oil,<\/p>\n

my cup overflows.<\/p>\n

Let but goodness and kindness pursue me<\/p>\n

all the days of my life.<\/p>\n

And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD<\/p>\n

for many long days.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While different from many other modern translations of the Psalm, his captures some of the nuances that are frequently lost in translation.<\/p>\n

For more from Robert Alter<\/a> on his translation of the Hebrew Bible, head on over to the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk<\/em> for the full interview.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve always wondered how well the talks of different general authorities translate to other languages.\u00a0 For example, I can imagine that a lot of the alliteration that a few apostles adopt in their addresses doesn\u2019t carry over.\u00a0 And I know from my work on translating Spanish hymns that translating between languages is an inexact science and involves compromises to keep certain aspects of the original language \u2013 rhyme, meter, literal meaning of words, nuances conveyed in idioms, etc.\u00a0 It\u2019s almost impossible to carry all of those together across from one language to another.\u00a0 Largely because of this, translations of the Bible have proliferated, with each trying to convey the meaning of the texts from the original languages in different ways.\u00a0 For example, Robert Alter\u2019s English translation of the Hebrew Bible focuses on carrying the literary forms of the Hebrew texts.\u00a0 In a recent interview at the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk, Robert Alter discussed his translation. Robert Alter is a noted scholar who received his doctorate from Harvard University and is a\u00a0Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature. \u00a0His doctorate was in modern comparative literature, but he noted in the interview that: \u201cas an undergraduate I spent three years […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10397,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2890,2885,2906,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-desk","category-language-and-literature","category-old-testament","category-scriptures"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10397"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44206"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44207,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44206\/revisions\/44207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}