A few of weeks ago, my six-year-old Eden asked me if I think that God speaks Hebrew. I replied,“ Well, He speaks Hebrew and understands all languages….” I marvel at the wonder of children, and how simple their search for God, and understanding of Him can be.

I thought about her question, and I realized not only how important it is to translate the Scriptures as precisely as possible, but also how much richness and depth can be found in the original language.  Before we get into our series on the book of Psalms, I want to devote this blog entry to my own translation of the wonderful Psalm 23.  I have translated it directly from the biblical Hebrew to English, as this will be the translation that I will refer to during the series.

1. A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not lack (anything).

2. He causes me to lie down in green (grass) pastures; He leads me beside still waters.

3. He restores my soul; He leads me in circles of righteousness for His name’s sake.

4. Even when I walk in the valley of darkness (Lost) , I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5. You set a table before me, before my adversaries; You anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6. But only goodness and grace chase me all the days of my life, and I will dwell (rest) in the house of the Lord for length of days.

In closing, I would like to encourage each one of us to take a moment, read this Psalm again, and spend some time reflecting on the richness of these words.

Shabbat Shalom,

Moran