Davidic Redundancy
Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. Psalm 48:3 ESV
Citadels/fortress – God has made Himself known as a fortress? What in the world does that mean? According to the psalmist, God is already within the citadels of the city. So why does He need to make Himself known as a fortress? What kind of fortress is within the citadel? It sounds good. It’s got poetic flare. But when you really think about it, it doesn’t make much sense. A fort inside a fort? What for?
The problem here is the choice of translation. The first word, ‘armon, certainly means something like a citadel. Actually, it means, “a fortified palace.” But it doesn’t sound good in English to say, “in a fortified palace God made Himself knows as a fort.” Then the redundancy really shows. ‘armon is a word about royal housing (not just any fort) so it’s a special place not only because it is a stronghold but because of who lives in it. However, the second word, misgab, isn’t really about fortification. It is really about “height.” Now it happens that high places offer good protection, but the emphasis of this word is not on the defense but rather on the refuge associated with being above the battle. This is a word about security, not the thickness of the walls or the size of the gate. We would understand the imagery better if we translated the verse, “Within her fortified palace God has made Himself known as a refuge.” Ah, that’s better, isn’t it?
Perhaps the NASB or the NIV or the NKJV do a better job with this one. We would have to investigate. But whether or not this particular verse makes more sense in a different English translation isn’t really the issue. The problem is that translators make words in one language mean something in another language, and that is always a problem. There are no two languages with identical overlap. Furthermore, since languages reflect worldviews, that means there are no two cultures with identically overlapping worldviews. It isn’t just a problem for Hebrew and English. It’s a problem for Spanish and English, French and English, Tagalog and English, Martian and English. Just try translating what you say into another language you know using an on-line translating program and you will instantly see what I am talking about. Plus, of course, three thousand years of history differential, entirely different political and economic circumstances, radical changes in information transfer and everything else that makes us “modern” and the Bible “ancient.” Then there’s the Paleo-Hebrew complication. David didn’t write misgab. He wrote
Some days I just want to give up. I’m afraid I was born at least two millennia too late, on the wrong side of the planet, in the wrong governmental system from the wrong lineage. Ah, just like every other Gentile who ever walked the face of the earth. I’m so glad Rahab was left living in the midst of Israel. Maybe we have a chance. At least we Gentiles can take this away from David’s translation redundancy. God is our refuge. He is the high place. He shelters us. Even if we still can’t figure out what David really said.
Topical Index: fortress, citadel, ‘armon, misgab, refuge, Psalm 48:3
Great Revelation, we love the David historys on Brazil Church.
….from another gentile born of the wrong lineage, at the wrong time, in the wrong place, under the wrong system….I guess that’s at least 2 mistakes the Lord God made then!
Whatever you do, don’t give up. We all love what you write, it makes our day and gives us the best excuse to stop the busyness of the day and to ponder afresh upon the Word. Your insights, wisdom and knowledge are an immense blessing every day, we love the Holy Skiptures, keep going!
Every Blessing to you
Simon
Brother skip keep writing, your today’s word as are inspired by our heavenly father,is a blessing
Some days it’s my inspiration to hold on and don’t let go, this path is not an easy road to travel, and you
Were born at the time , when your heavenly father saw fit, keep on trucking ,as the saying goes
And “YAH’S ” blessings be with u
Thank you for not giving up Skip. Thank you for hanging in there. Thank you for teaching us that it’s not all about having the right answers but rather about clinging to the one who has the answers. I’m glad you were born when you were. We need you. >Shalom
Concerning this statement: There are no two languages with identical overlap. I have a modern day example, not separated by 2000 years, and still it reveals the difficulty in translation. When in Germany, I wanted to translate and memorize John 10:10, in order to share the truth with Germans. I had looked up the German word for abundant and came up with uberflussigus, however it is spelled. I recited my German to my friend who was helping me. She burst out laughing, because the word meant overflowing as in wasteful, like milk being poured into a glass, overflowing and making a big mess. So I was really saying Yeshua gives wasteful life. One additional thought, concerning the translation of the Bible, at least we understand the important and vital parts, which is encouraging.
Great example.
Recently, I was talking with my brother and we spent waaaaaay to much time clarifying what we meant… in English. We are both native English speakers, we were both raised in the same house, same culture, same time-period, ect – and yet we were misinterpreting what the other was trying to say. Then later, with my wife: “No, no, honey — what I was trying to say was……”
“Just try translating what you say into another language you know using an on-line translating program and you will instantly see what I am talking about.”
The joke goes thus: put the English proverb ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ into the English-to-Russian translator and immediately put the output back into the Russian-to-English program. The result? The invisible idiot.
Skip, the bible has never meant so much to me since I started reading your explanations. If you could get it on the “supermarket shelf” it would be a best seller. Thanks for what you write, so easily understandable.
“Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress” compared to
“Within her fortified palace God has made Himself known as a refuge.” there is a difference.
Translations are very difficult, and has many complex issues, we just have to keep digging to find the Scripturally none-doctrine corrupted word. We share your frustrations, but thank you for being you, for doing what you do best. We have been so inspired by your TWs. Shalom.