Day 130 - The Psalms

It has been good to get into the Psalms over the past week. There is one trouble with it, reading 4 or more Psalms a day is a little difficult (not because it’s too much, but because the Psalms are meant to be read slowly and reflectively). As I read through these in the NLT I often pull out an ESV or NASB translation and compare and see how they arrived at the word choice. That has been good because it has made me slow down a bit more as I read through these.

Try this for yourself with Psalm 36 today. Read it alongside another translation (ESV, NASB, NIV, CSB) and let the text come alive. It is easy to get stuck in what is familiar and then when something is worded with a slight change it often provides a bit of help in seeing the fullness of the meaning.

For example, the language of Psalm 37:3 is a bit enigmatic in the ESV:

Trust in the LORD, and do good;

Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

The first line is not all that difficult to grasp. Trust in God and follow his ways in both thought and action. But then the second line is somewhat mysterious. What does it mean to “dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness”? The NLT translates this “Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.” That sounds similar to different times where the Lord challenged the people of Israel to live in a manner that followed the Lord and they would see God’s faithfulness to the promises of his covenant (cf. Deuteronomy 30:15-20). So then befriending faithfulness would point towards knowing the faithfulness of God and his covenant promises to bless and not to curse.

This is just one example where reading multiple translations can be helpful in our Bible reading. Enjoy your work through Psalm 36.