Untitled Sermon (3)

“ The BLESSED ”

WHO THE “BLESSED MAN” IS

Is not exempted and Is subject too

The most blessed man is still a man. He must suffer pain, or pine in sickness, endure losses and crosses, and yet in it all be a blessed man.[1]

Being a man, he is also subject to infirmities,—perhaps of a quick temper, or of a high and haughty spirit. He may be tempted to sloth or besetting sin of another kind. Still being a man he must have some infirmity, and yet, none the less is he blessed. Do not dream that the best of men are yet without fault. They will confess to you that they have—[2]

he has to endure the same temptations that we have[3]

The Blessed man does not

Stroll, stand or sit

Walks not in the counsel the wicked In some languages there are expressions such as “to follow in the footprints,” meaning to imitate the behavior of someone. In such cases the metaphor can appropriately be retained at least in part as “who do not follow in the footprints of evil men.”[4]Stands in the way of sinners does not follow the path taken (or, indicated) by sinners,” “does not imitate the example of sinful people[5]Sit in the seat of the scoffers does not join (or, associate with) people who make fun of religion (or, of God).” In many languages the verb “sit” has also the meanings of “to be” or “to exist,” and by extension “to accompany someone[6] “shake the finger,” “wag the head,” or “make faces.” Hence the full expression sits in the seat of scoffers is sometimes rendered “sit with people who wag their heads at God.”[7]

The Blessed man does

Delights extreme satisfaction

In translation it is important to make clear the relation between delight[8]and the law of the Lord. This may often be done by using two verb forms, as in tev’s “find joy” and “obeying.” The first can often be the cause and the second the result; for example, “Because they obey the Law of the Lord, they are happy.” In some languages law merely refers to regulations sent out from local officials. In order to avoid a restricted meaning of the term law, it is better to shift to “teaching” or “instruction.” Furthermore, it may be necessary to indicate that the “teaching” comes from God, in contrast to a “teaching” which is about God.[9]

2 : something that gives great pleasure[10]

Mediation

to engage in contemplation or reflection[11]

Meditates: “reads carefully,” “studies,” “pores over.” The Hebrew verb is defined as “read in an undertone” (see ), meaning intensive, careful reading and study. However, many languages make no distinction between reading and studying, and attempts to describe a mumbling kind of reading may distract from the essential force of reading diligently. Hence, meditates may often be rendered as “reading and thinking about.” In cases where it is desirable to express the intensive aspect of reading, one may say “they read it carefully day and night,” or “they read and think about its teachings all the time,” or “they are always reading and thinking about its teachings.”[12]

He is like a tree planted by water,

that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

for it does not cease to bear fruit.” [13]

The Blessed man is successful

The verb planted is taken by some commentators to mean “transplanted” (see , , ; , ); most translations have simply “planted,” since the important thing is not whether the tree is planted or transplanted, but that it grows where there is plenty of water.

Streams of water: a literal translation of the Hebrew phrase, which means either a natural course of water or an artificial canal. In either case it supplies fresh running water to the tree. However, the picture of fruit trees growing beside a water course in the dry Middle East is quite different from that of trees growing along low-lying or swampy stream beds in the tropics. In the tropics fruit trees are often grown away from streams, since they require better drainage. Accordingly they depend on the rains for their water, and a desirable rendering may be “They are like trees that grow where there is plenty of water” or “They are like trees that grow well because they are well watered.”

Season may often be rendered as in tev, “at the right time,” or “always,” or in some languages “without ever failing.”

Its leaf does not wither: “its leaves don’t wither.” The withering of leaves is an indication that the tree is dying, or dead, and so in some languages it may be more effective to say “it does not die” or “it stays strong and healthy.”

In all that he does, he prospers: see . Some think that a tree is the subject of this last line (see American Translation [at] “and whatever it bears comes to maturity”; see also njv). But most commentaries and translations take the righteous person to be the subject; so tev “they succeed.” The verb “to prosper” includes all areas of life, not only spiritual but also financial and physical.

If translators keep the plural subject, as in tev, they must make certain that the pronoun refers to the persons compared to the trees, and not to the trees themselves. In some cases it will be best to introduce a new subject; for example, “People who follow God’s way.” Prospers is translated in some languages by means of idiomatic expressions; positively it may sometimes be said “People who follow God’s way will see goodness” or “… will touch good things,” or negatively, “… will not fail to see good things.”[14]

[11] Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1996).

[12] Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991), 18.

[13] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

[14] Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991), 19.