Hen Scratches 23-08-07

I know some people don't like my rants, even though they may be seeded with little pockets of erudition. So I try to keep my scratches as a place to honour the best in Bible translation posts elsewhere.

Mike has a good post on the meaning of literal as it is used in translation.

Dr. Marriotini has some good posts on the NIV. Much to agree with there, I thought.

Ben Witherinton has a great post on Hermeneutics.

There is a fascinating discussion going on about imprecations in the Psalms. This one is a real doozie. (How do you spell that, anyway?) Here is what Ben Witherington is reported to have said,

I don’t know what seminary this pastor went to, but boy has he misunderstood those psalms. They don’t reveal the will of God in such matters, rather they shed God’s light of truth on what is in the wicked heart of human beings, including in David’s heart, that old murderer and adulterer.

Have some fun reading this discussion.

John is looking at the ISV and Bob is encouraging me to continue with Hebrew. I have been quite intimidated to blog about Hebrew, but I am slowly warming up to the idea that I can if I do my homework carefully.

Duane has a dog post of a different kind.

Finally, this is a great find for me, an article on Herbert of Bosham's commentary on the Hebraica, Jerome's translation of the Psalter from the Hebrew. Eva de Visscher writes,

The examination of the Commentary on the Psalms has shed light on Herbert.s attitude towards Jews, on his knowledge of the Hebrew language, and on his awareness of exegetical and liturgical developments within Judaism throughout the ages: while he clearly admires the works and biblical interpretation of earlier Jewish scholars, his assessment of Rashi and his perception of the Jewry of his own time are much more ambivalent, and need further investigation. Another question which still remains unanswered is what audience he intended for such a specialised piece of work. This detailed survey of Herbert of Bosham’s Psalm Commentary, while undoubtedly useful for my own research, will also be of wider importance for the study of the knowledge of Hebrew among Christians, the incorporation of Jewish thought in Christian exegesis and the nature of Jewish-Christian relations in medieval Western Europe.