SIL International Publications

Studies in the Psalms: Literary-Structural Analysis with Application to Translation

Author(s):
Wendland, Ernst R
Description: 

Understanding Biblical Hebrew poetry is a formidable task and the complexity rises exponentially when attempting translation. This collection of studies examines both the analysis of select Psalms and their translation into English and a Bantu language. Wendland uses his "literary functional equivalence" (LiFE) approach to translation to discuss parallelism, chiastic structures, and other aspects of Hebrew discourse in poetry, and how these are manifested on both the micro- and macro-levels of a particular Psalm.

Readers of this volume will

  • better appreciate the beauty and power of the Psalms with their diverse artistic and rhetorical features,
  • be able to develop their own method of investigating biblical poetry,
  • understand how to apply analytical insights to the practice of translation, and
  • evaluate translation techniques in published Scripture versions.

This book gives analytic insights to translators, researchers, or commentators on biblical poetry.

Table of Contents: 

Dedication
Foreword
Introduction

  1. The Discourse Analysis of Hebrew Poetry: A Procedural Outline, with Special Reference to Psalm 24
    • 1.1 What is poetry?
    • 1.2 Ten literary features common in poetic discourse
    • 1.3 Ten techniques for analyzing poetic discourse
    • 1.4 Conclusion: Proposed applications of the preceding methodology
  2. Continuity and Discontinuity in Hebrew Poetic Design, with Special Reference to Psalm 30
    • 2.1 Continuity and discontinuity in poetry
    • 2.2 Continuity—carrying a text forward and tying it together
    • 2.3 Discontinuity—breaking up a text and highlighting its contents
    • 2.4 Continuity and discontinuity in the discourse design of Psalm 30
    • 2.5 Continuity and discontinuity in the medium of psalmic transmission
  3. Genre Criticism and the Psalms, with Special Reference to Psalm 31
    • 3.1 Interpreting the Bible as literature
    • 3.2 What is genre criticism, and why is it necessary?
    • 3.3 The nature of Biblical Hebrew poetry—ten characteristics
    • 3.4 Two basic psalmic genres: lament and eulogy
    • 3.5 A discourse-oriented, structure-functional, literary-oratorical analysis
    • 3.6 Muilenburg’s method elaborated
    • 3.7 Application to Psalm 31
    • 3.8 Some practical implications of this study
  4. A Literary-Structural Analysis of Psalm 22
    • 4.1 Patterns of continuity and points of discontinuity in a biblical text
    • 4.2 Poetic parallelism and its prominence in biblical discourse
    • 4.3 Forms and functions of disjunctive parallelism
    • 4.4 Further thoughts on methodology
    • 4.5 A text-structural display of Psalm 22
    • 4.6 Summary
    • 4.7 A further review of the structural evidence
    • 4.8 On the interaction of topic and type
    • 4.9 The thematic flow of Psalm 22
    • 4.10 The literary-structural analysis of Psalm 22—a brief retrospect and prospect
  5. Aspects of the Principle of Parallelism in Hebrew Poetry
    • 5.1 Some standard definitions
    • 5.2 Lunn’s description of parallelism
    • 5.3 Another perspective on parallelism
    • 5.4 An application to Psalm 103
    • 5.5 Conclusion
  6. ‘My Tongue is the Stylus of a Skillful Scribe’ (Psalm 45:2c): If so in the Scriptures, then why not also in Translation?
    • 6.1 The Hebrew text and two translations
    • 6.2 Psalm 45 is unique
    • 6.3 Seven artistic-rhetorical features of Psalm 45
    • 6.4 A blunt stylus and a dull sound in translation?
    • 6.5 Conclusion
    • 6.6 Excursus A: Psalm 45 in The Voice
  7. Sing to the Lord a New Song (Psalm 98:1)—also in Translation!
    • 7.1 Music, lyric, and song in the worship of Israel
    • 7.2 Athanasius—on singing the Psalms
    • 7.3 A literary-structural overview of Psalm 98
    • 7.4 The reflected meaning of Psalm 98’s new song in the light of similar songs
    • 7.5 What is the manner of singing the new song of Psalm 98—from then to now?
    • 7.6 Discovering the appropriate genre for a new song in translation
    • 7.7 Singing a new song in Chewa and English—samples of lyric translation
    • 7.8 Conclusion: Why a lyric, musical translation is an ideal goal
    • 7.9 Excursus A: Psalm 98 (Common Meter [C.M.])
    • 7.10 Excursus B: Psalm 98 in The Psalms of David in Metre
    • 7.11 Excursus C: Psalm 98 in Free Church of Scotland Psalter
    • 7.12 Excursus D: Timothy Wilt’s LiFE rendition
    • 7.13 Excursus E: YEHOVA MBUSA WANGADI
    • 7.14 Excursus F: Sample Ndakatulo lyrics
  8. Psalm by the Sea: A Study of Israel’s Thanksgiving Song (Exodus 15:1–21) and its Significance for Translation
    • 8.1 Exodus 15—an overview
    • 8.2 The situational setting (context)
    • 8.3 The text
    • 8.4 Microstructure
    • 8.5 Pragmatic analysis
    • 8.6 Thematic-conceptual analysis
    • 8.7 The intertext
    • 8.8 Paratext
    • 8.9 Metatext: On translating a poetic, musical version
    • 8.10 Conclusion: Singing the “Psalm by the Sea” today
  9. Peace—its Prerequisite and Promise: A Poetic Analysis and an Application of Psalm 85 to Africa
    • 9.1 The poetic structure and inscribed message of Psalm 85
    • 9.2 Reading and applying Psalm 85 in Africa today
    • 9.3 Towards an oratorical equivalent of Psalm 85
  10. Aspects of Quality and Quality Control in Bible Translation, with Reference to Psalm 134
    • 10.1 Defining quality and quality control
    • 10.2 Perspectives on quality in relation to Bible translation
    • 10.3 Case study: A qualitative testing of different literary versions of Psalm 134
    • 10.4 Enhancing the value of a Bible translation: How is quality created, compromised, encouraged, and/or “controlled”?
    • 10.5 Conclusion: Mutu umodzi susenza denga ‘One head cannot raise a roof’
    • 10.6 Some final thoughts for consideration
    • Excursus A: On Translation Criticism
    • Excursus B: Some Parameters and Principles of Translation Criticism
    • The Revision Parameters
    • Summary of Revision Principles
  11. Psalm 73—Exegesis, Evaluation, Re-Expression
    • 11.1 The Psalter’s central Psalm: From heartfelt doubt, to deliberation, to declaration
    • 11.2 Annotated diagram of the poetic, sequential-spatial structure of Psalm 73
    • 11.3 Assessment and application: Declaring all the LORD’s deeds today (Psalm 73:28)
    • 11.4 Conclusion

Appendix: Reviews of Four Recent Books on the Psalter

  1. Reading Psalm 145 with the Sages—A Compositional Analysis
  2. The Shape and Shaping of the Psalms: The Current State of Scholarship
  3. Singing the Songs of the Lord in Foreign Lands: Psalms in Contemporary Lutheran Interpretation
    • 3.1 Hermeneutical approaches and challenges
    • 3.2 Psalms exegesis—methodologies past and present
    • 3.3 Difficult topics in Psalms and their Lutheran interpretation
    • 3.4 Psalms from the Old Testament and their reception in the New Testament
    • 3.5 Luther’s interpretation of the Psalms from a contemporary perspective
    • 3.6 Contextual approaches to the Psalms
    • 3.7 Conclusion
  4. The Psalms: Language for all Seasons of the Soul

References
Index

Series Volume: 
8
Issue Date: 
2017
Extent: 
xxii, 538 pages
ISBN 13: 
978-1556714016
Subject: 
Translation Criticism
Text Analysis
Psalmic Structure Analysis
Literary Functional Equivalence
Hebrew Poetry
Hebrew Poetic Discourse
Artistic-Rhetorical Impact
Size: 
9 × 6 × 1.15 in
Weight: 
1.66 lb
Content Language: