“Prepare a sacrifice”?
Why does the ESV have in Ps. 5.3 (5.4 Heb.) “in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch”? The Hebrew is ‘arak, which HALOT has as “to lay out, set in rows”; it can also mean to set up a battle formation; but the kicker is this: it is a legal term meaning to present a case (before a judge, I presume). The meaning of laying out/setting in rows is used for sacrificial meat [e.g., Lev. 1.8] and for the showbread [e.g., Lev. 24.8] – but that is certainly not the only use – and doesn’t fit the context of the Psalm, which doesn’t seem centered on priestly activity in the Holy Place. The LXX renders it with parastesomai (”to be present; stand by”). Most other English transations I checked respect the ambiguity of the term and render it in a more general way – which, it seems to me, is much closer to the meaning. NKJ has “In the morning I will direct it to you, and look up”; KJV, “In the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up”; NAS, “In the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch”; NJB, “At daybreak I lay my case before you and fix my eyes on you.”
It appears that the ESV simply copied the RSV on this verse, without actually checking the Words our Lord gave us. Missed it by THAT much. And, removed from the mouths of God’s people what He actually wants us to do and say.
And then, there was last Sunday’s Epistle, specifically Rom. 6.19. ESV has, “I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations.” That sounded odd as soon as I read it, sending me running to my trusty Robinson-Pierpont. Sure enough, there is mischief afoot. The Greek has dia ten asthenian tes sarkos humwn (forgive my lousy transliteration skills). Is there any reason at all not to just translate it, “because of the weakness of your flesh”? That puts it within the context of everything the Scriptures have to say about the weakness of the flesh. Change for the sake of change is unwise; change that actually makes the text theologically harder to understand is irresponsible.
Just when I start liking the ESV, I come across things like these that make me wonder why our Synod rushes into bad translations generation after generation.
Related posts:
- Quirinius conundrum [updated] Sometimes
- Children Sacrificed to Molech One natura
- Matthean Mystery Well, not
- After my skin is destroyed We are slo
- Back-to-school diversions In Islam,
