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NASB | Psalm 2:12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Psalm 2:12 Kiss (pay respect to) the Son, so that He does not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled and set aflame. How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] are all those who take refuge in Him! |
Bible Question:
I am wondering about the translation of Psalm 2:12 in relation to Psalm 2:7. I am including a link to the Hebrew and to a traditional Jewish translation (which I see also referenced in the Amplified above). http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2602.htm My question is this: In Psalm 2:7, G-d says, You are My son" (atah beni)... but in 2:12 it says what looks like "Nishku bar" which is translated "Do homage in purity" (or Kiss the son). I am assuming that nishku is a cognate of shachah, which means to worship, so either kiss or do homage makes sense as a translation. I am wondering about the "bar." 1) Why does the L-rd use the word "bar" (Aramaic?) there instead of "ben" (the normal Hebrew word for son which is above in v. 7) there? 2) Can "bar" be also translated "in purity"? What is your understanding of this verse? (I believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is being referred to in this verse, but I would like more understanding of the text itself.) Thank you. |
Bible Answer: Shalom aleichem, Beseder! The word "bar" is a Chaldee word, meaning son or heir. It is also a Hebrew word meaning morally clean or, as you have suggested, pure. (It is translated that way in Job 11:4, Psalm 24:4, and Psalm 73:1.) I read that the Chaldee, Vulgate, and Ethiopic versions of the Septuagint translate it as doctrine and/or discipline. The 19th century, British commentator Adam Clarke wrote, "This is a remarkable case, and especially that in so pure a piece of Hebrew as this poem is, a Chaldee word should have been found... which adds nothing to the strength of the expression, or the elegance of the poetry. I know that bar is also pure Hebrew as well as Chaldee; but it is taken in the former language in the sense of purifying, the versions probably understood it so here. Embrace that which is pure, namely, the doctrine of God." Something else to consider might be that the next word after "bar" in Psalm 2:12 is the word "pen." Is it possible that the phrase "ben pen" might have been intentionally avoided? I found another unnamed commentator who suggested that the use of this word was "intentionally directed to the foreign nations" since the Psalm has a universal flavor (cf verses 1 and 2). That has an interesting appeal to it from our vantage point in time. Frankly, each of these explanations sound good to me. They certainly cause one to think. I hope this helps to make more beseder and less haseder! :-) In Him, Doc |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Ps 2:12 | Author | ||
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waldo700 | ||
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Beseder | ||
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DocTrinsograce |