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| Psalm 1/Lexical Semantics#Feature.1 | Difficult Words | True | More complete explanations of the words used in Psalm 1 can be found in the UBS Translators Handbook on the Psalms'"`UNIQ--ref-000008AD-QINU`"' and in commentaries like the Word Biblical Commentaries series.'"`UNIQ--ref-000008AE-QINU`"' A few words that may cause difficulties for translators are highlighted here.
v. 1
- אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ – (see below)
- עֵצָה – This word most often refers to the “counsel” or “guidance” one receives from others. To “walk in the advice of the wicked” means to allow their evil ideas to impact and determine one’s behavior.
v. 2
- יֶהְגֶּה – The word הָגָה is not as much ‘meditate’ but ‘mutter.’ The idea is not that the blessed person thinks on the law day and night, but the law is actually on his or her lips. The problem with the translation into English is that ‘he mutters his law’ does not sound like a good thing necessarily. Something like ‘muses’ might be better or ‘chews on’, but both of these miss the muttering component. It might be best to put a footnote with ‘muse’ to indicate that speaking is involved. It has been translated "meditate/think about (ESV, NRSV, NASB, NIV, NET, NLT, CEV) < "study" (NJPS, TEV).
v. 3
- פַּלְגֵי מַיִם – (see below)
v. 4
v. 5
- מִשְׁפָּט – It is difficult to tell whether מִשְׁפָּט means ‘lawcourt’ (as in the place) or as referring to the act of making a ruling. Both are possible. The former is suggested by the parallel to בַּעֲדַת, but the latter fits the context as well.
- עֵדָה – This concept is not necessarily limited to a local assembly of people, like a local synagogue. It may refer to the regular public meetings at the sanctuary (tabernacle or temple) as well. It is normally a large crowd of people.
v. 6
- יוֹדֵעַ – To “know a way” means, in its most basic sense, “to recognize-acknowledge a pathway, route, or prescribed way of life” (see Jos. 3:4, Job 21:14, Ps. 67:2, Isa. 42:16, Jer. 5:4-5). In the OT and a covenantal context, the verb ידע has a relational implication: Yahweh in personal relationship with his faithful people. When the stative ידע is used verbally as a participle, it may mean ‘care for’ (see Prov. 12:10; 29:7). In this case, the “way of the godly” is not their behavior, but their course of life or destiny. Alternatively, the word may indicate familiarity and suggest that God walks with the righteous on their pathway. It could also refer to the Lord recognizing the behavior of the godly and, by metonymy, rewarding their godliness with security and prosperity (“the LORD rewards the behavior of the godly”). It has been translated "knows" (ESV, NASB), "watches over/guards/protects" (NRSV, NIV, NET, NLT), "guides" (TEV), "cherishes" (NJPS).
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