Prettyizations of the KJV

The Hebrew original of Judges 5 is difficult.  It is perhaps the most ancient Biblical text we have - I think I remember some scholars giving dates like 1200, 1300 BC for this gorgeous thing.  It contains many striking images and contains many striking topical movements.

But this post is about my favorite verse of the poem, one for which the KJV translation finds itself, in my opinion, better than original, more originary in its memorability and troping.

The Hebrew reads for verse 20 of chapter 5 of Judges: זבלון עם חרף נפשו למות ונפתלי על מרומי שדה׃. 

Nice.  Of course, the idea is pretty enough in itself, and this must ultimately lend much memorability to the verse.  And thankfully for us, the prettyness being ideated and not phonological, it finds itself perfectly translatable.  

Before we immediately unveil the KJV rendering, let's turn to the unfortunate NIV construal:

"The people of Zebulun risked their lives; so did Naphtali on the terraced fields."

Terraced fields?!  This will not do at all, no no no no. The terraced fields rendering of "maromey lladeh" probably reflects some etymological/archeological reading and so is useful enough for the linguists among us, but as poetry it will ultimately have to bow the knee.  

How bout the ultra-literal (and usually satisfactory on that Level, except for its unfortunate exclusion of YHWH from its OT bits) NASB? We have, according to the wise New American magistrates: 

"Zebulun was a people who despised their lives even to death,
And Naphtali also, on the high places of the field."

Much better than the NIV.  Yes.  Also interestingly reflects the longer first clause in the Hebrew in proper length, giving the parallelism a bit of its originary, uneven keel.  

Shall we try the Message on for size?  Oh, how, how will it fit??!

"But Zebulun risked life and limb, defied death, as did Naphtali on the battle heights."

This seems to me, and there will be those that disagree, a most unfortunate rendering.  The parallelism has been hampered - and with a cliche at that!  Life and limb!  Blechh!  No thank you.  Cliches go in the mental ear and out the mental ear.  There is no twist, there is only communication.  It might as well be an extra long preposition or a noun like "mom".  Too ordinary and too long for being so ordinary.  

Overall the Message here seems to have given a more martial feel to a verse that seemed straight nobility to me in the Hebrew.  Life and Limb, battle heights.  I think of bombs going off in Gaza, steep plateaus, and desert landscapes, instead of the sheer 'heights' and the great losses no doubt experienced on them in 12th century BC.  The message can do that, if it likes, but the effect here is unfortunate.  

One more, before the KJV bomb hits.  And what shall it be (the wheel turns) - and Fortune's outstretched digit marks  - THE WYCLIFEE BIBLE!  

A most ANCIENT bible, if my memory does render me right, one chock full of homey English phrases, and as I now examine, titillating sidebar explanations!  Do enjoy!

And Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to the death, in the country of Meromei, that is interpreted, high.

AhHHH, how charming, how lovely.  This rendering makes me want to go to the country of Meromei, have tea, and then write travel material on just why Meromei is high.  Not bad, but its whipcrack sidebar ultimately distracts from the primary thrust of the thing.  

So, now for the KJV.  

Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeaporded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.  

How glorious the rendering.  First, the innovation of "jeaporded" - a pretty skewing of 'scorned.'  Second, destroying the parallelism for one pithy thought, a risky move that pays off.  Third, "unto" instead of "to".  What a lovely touch!  And finally, we have the lustrously long "high places of the field."  Saying it to oneself makes we want to resort to nasty, sex-themed cliches, like OMG my brainjustOrgasmed HAHAHA.  No, what we have here is something more streched and Miltonic, like "adamantine chains and penal fire."  OOOOOOH!  Sounds like a recipe for chilbains, don't u think?  I got something to heat me up on a cold day, and it's not Campbells!

I probably have not convinced you of the KJV's glory here, especially with all that above, tedious buildup.  No doubt the constipation was tremulendous.  The board here at Lambwich.org apologizes.  

Also, it should be noted that the main thrust of this whole thing, that the KJV here is pretty darn awesome, is not anywhere near my own idea, but one borrowed in a hackneyed, ugly fashion from Harold Bloom's book on the KJV, which changed how I read Biblical poetry and, I suppose, also the Bible generally.  He, I suppose, is to be thanked for all this mess, so if you're REALLY UPSET with your three to five minutes of lost time, send your mail to him (throw a word in for me, too, as this took much longer than three to five minutes to write, ahirhirhir...).