Psalm 23 - long long pursuit of the house of the LORD

Question

I am puzzled by translations of the 23rd Psalm. I wish to bring those my puzzlement to your attention. Perhaps, someone could comment on it.

1. ינחני במעגלי צדק
   

   The accepted translations are saying

   He leads me in paths of righteousness.

   ?

   In Hebrew, it actually says, at least what I believe to say,

   He-marshalls(guide by contraints)-me within realm/circle of righteousness.

   There is no word "path" in the sentence at all. Does anyone see the word "path" (דרך, רחוב)?

   The accepted translations are giving quite a different picture as to where to and how we are guided into righteousness than in the Hebrew.

2. תערך לפני שלחן - You arrange before me a table

   נגד צררי - against/affronting my enemies.

   However, the accepted translations are saying,

   You prepare a table before me in the "presence" of my enemies.

   ערך would be to arrange and place per item deliberately following a plan or principle.

   That is, in Hebrew, I find that the verse is telling me that the LORD deliberately puts me in a place of honour in His concierge of a well-laid table as a provocative confrontation towards my enemies.

3. אך טוב וחסד - But goodness and mercy

   ירדפוני - will pursue me

   It's not like goodness and mercy will "follow" me lackadaisically. But the Hebrew says that they will relentless pursue me (perhaps even hunt me down).

   Which means not only am I assured goodness and mercy, they hunt me down to compel me that I too exhibit goodness and mercy.

4. Finally the big kahuna of the question. The previous statements are just to convince you that the standard translations for Psalm 23 cannot be trusted. This is the actual question.

   ושבתי בבית יי - And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

   לארך ימים - for lengthening/lengthenedness of days.

   It does not say "forever" or "eternity" (לעלם ועד).

   Doesn't the verse actually mean

   And I shall spend more time in the house of the LORD

   So that, if you are Christian, it says you go to church more often, if you are Buddhist, you meditate more, etc. Don't you think so? I am asking this question after realising that Stone's does not translate it as "forever" but as "long long days".

Answer 1

"Path" and "realm" result in very different images. "Path" brings to mind the image of danger on every side except unless you stay right there. "Realm" makes the image more like a fenced-in pasture; you can go anywhere within the pasture and be safe. This is a very common metaphor in the rabbinic writings. Torah is a fence that keeps us safe from outer dangers.

However, looking at the Hebrew word in Brown, Driver, Briggs Lexicon, ma'gal, I see it means "entrenchment, track, (fig.) course of action, way of life." It appears in such places as Proverbs 4:11 where "upright paths" (using ma'gal) appears in parallel to "way of wisdom" (using derek) (ma'gal is also parallel to derek in Proverbs 4:26). The imagery in Psalm 17:5 is similar, "My steps have held fast to Thy paths. My feet have not slipped."

I conclude that "path" is acceptable for ma'gal.

You make a very good point with #2.

I definitely agree on point 3. No question the Hebrew means much more than a mere following. It is ironic in that this is the only place in the Hebrew Bible where "pursue" has "goodness and mercy" as the subject. Usually, it is a person's enemies who pursue him this way. However, God (goodness and mercy being used of Him) will pursue His beloved every bit as hard as armies pursue their enemies.

Regarding point 4, you have a very strong argument against "forever," but I disagree with reading it as "more time." Your case is especially strong when you look at the rest of the verse. The NET Bible translates it this way (very close to your translation).

23:6 Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days,

and I will live in the Lord’s house for the rest of my life.

(Bold added to show parallel.)

They take "for lengthening of days" as "rest of my life" because that translation shows how the two Hebrew phrases in bold stand in parallel. Other places where the phrase לארך ימים is used (see Deuteronomy 30:20; Job 12:12; Psalm 91:16; Proverbs 3:2, 16; Lamentations 5:20) refer to a human life. An exception is Psalm 21:4* where the phrase is followed by the intensifier "forever and ever."

*I linked to the KJV because it shows the "forever and ever" phrase where the NET uses "an enduring dynasty" to show how the king will achieve eternal life.