This is a re-do and expansion of something I posted in June of 2021. At the time, I liked the verse, but I didn't realize that there was more to say about it.
This verse, which I quoted from De imitatione christi, is from the Septuagint (LXX). In translation it says: "I will hear what the Lord God speaks in me, for he will speak peace to his people, and to his saints, and to those who turn their hearts toward him." This is also the gist of the Vulgate version, which was translated by St. Jerome from the LXX.
But the Masoretic text, centuries newer than the LXX, has: "Let me hear what God, the Lord, will speak; he will promise well-being to his people, his faithful ones; may they not turn to folly."
The newer, Masoretic text takes away everything that I liked about the older, LXX version. First of all, it omits the phrase "in me," which bespeaks mysticism, always distrusted by institutional religion (but very dear to me). Then it (the JPS English translation) changes "peace" to "well-being." The Hebrew of the Masoretic text clearly says, "peace." Peace is also very dear to me, though apparently not a popular value these days, when war appears to be the solution for everything.
"His faithful ones" are actually "his 'devout,' or 'devoted' ones, even according to the Masoretic Hebrew. Lastly, "may they not turn to folly is, indeed, what the Masoretic Hebrew says, but the older Hebrew text underlying the LXX obviously said "and to those who turn their hearts to him," which is the reading of both LXX and Vulgate. I prefer the older reading because it is more positive, as befits a loving God.
And this, in a nutshell, is the bone I have to pick with modern Bible translations. They have changed many things where there was no need to change, except for fashion or socio-political considerations. These changes make the world a colder, less generous, and more warlike place.
Text and image Copyright © 2024 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler.
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