Psalm II

The reason we are using the translation of the Book of Psalms by Robert Alter as a textbook is because of its unbiasedness and its attempt to provide a literal translation without theological implications embedded in the language. This particular quality of Alter's translation becomes crystal clear when compared to the same version provided in the Bay Psalm Book. There is a wide difference in word choice between the two translations in that the Bay Psalm Book's version seems much more emotional. The author seems to be very emphatic about what they're saying and uses strong language to illustrate those feelings. Alter's version, however, seems devoid of emotion. This is not to say that the psalm seems to have less meaning, but just that the author does not seem to be as personally involved in the message the psalm is providing.

In a way, I found Alter's translation of Psalm II helpful in interpreting the Bay Psalm Book version. It takes much more effort to understand the Bay Psalm version simply because it is not written in English as we know it today. The reader has to remember that f's are actually s's and that y's are sometimes i's, except when they're not. Some difficulty also lies in understanding the grammatical aspects of this translation as well. For instance, the second line reads "mufe vaine things people do." Even once we change the f in "mufe" to an s, the line is still hard to understand without scrutiny of the rest of the psalm. Once Alter's translation is read, however, it is easier to understand the basic message of the psalm, and we can then move on to figuring out emotions that are conveyed and other complexities involved in the piece.

Moving on from the mechanics of Psalm II, both translations are seem to be emphasizing the importance of worshiping the Lord and being in His grace. Not only that, but it stresses that one must be aware of what the Lord is capable of doing to those not in His favor. This is yet another reason to follow in His way. Alter's translation helps to make the literal meaning of Psalm II clear to readers, but the Bay Psalm Book gives us an insight into the emotions felt by those who initially wrote/read/sang the psalm in 1640. One powerful word choice that sticks out in this version is "heathen" (as opposed to Alter's "nation").

Aske thou of me, and I will give
the Heathen for thy lot:
and of the earth thou fhalt poffeffe
the utmost coafts abroad.

The verse above struck me as both having the greatest difference from Alter's translation and also giving the greatest insight into how colonists in North America might have interpreted the psalm. First, the translation given by Alter:

Ask of me, and I shall give nations as your estate,
and your holdings, the ends of the earth.

This translation sounds like a typical verse from the Christian bible; it states that all a believer needs to do is ask God, and He will provide them with all that they need and could desire. On the other hand, the Bay Psalm version sounds as if God is telling the people that He will give them the "heathens" and all their "lot." Colonists may have interpreted this as saying that all that the "heathens," or Native Americans had, was their God-given right. They may have felt that God meant for them to have the land of this new world, for after all, they were believers, and that was what believers were entitled to.