Saturday, March 01, 2008

I've enjoyed Psalm 116 many times, but reading it in the Good News Translation has made verse 16 stand out for me. It is translated in various ways including:

King James Version O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. [The ASV, RSV, NIV, NKJV and ESV are very similar.]
New Revised Standard Version Psalm 116:16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
New Living Translation, 2nd edition O LORD, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains.
Today's New International Version Truly I am your servant, LORD; I am your servant, as was my mother before me; you have loosed my bonds of affliction.
Contemporary English Version I worship you, LORD, just as my mother did, and you have rescued me from the chains of death.
Good News Translation I am your servant, LORD; I serve you just as my mother did. You have saved me from death.
New Jerusalem Bible I beg you, Yahweh! I am your servant, I am your servant and my mother was your servant; you have undone my fetters.
Reading the verse in several versions of different styles helps to bring out the meaning, I think. I am taking it that the psalmist is emphasising that he was born into a family which serves God, as Timothy was. [See 2 Timothy 1:5.]

But I like the way the freer translations bring out the thought that he is serving God, as his mother served him. Not everyone can say this, but if we can't, we can aspire to our own children one day saying it of us, as we faithfully, though imperfectly seek to serve our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

G'day David.

I don't come from a strong Christian background and it is something I try and instill into my own children.

You were blessed to have such a caring mother who was so filled with the Love of Jesus that she raised you to know him as well.

Though I know your mum was sick and that in your intellect you know she is better in heaven, I also know that in your heart you miss her ever so much. And this is part of your honoring her for being such a Godly woman.

My own father died about 14 years ago, though God has healed the pain of it - I still miss him being a grandfather to my kids he never knew, miss him as a dad and yet I also praise God that he also is in glory for accepting Christ not long before he died.
Blessings craig