As far as I can tell, Dr. Robert Alter is easily the most eminent scholar of Hebrew literature in the U.S. His prolific career has produced numerous, highly-respected works of Hebrew scholarship (among other endeavors), not the least of which includes translations, commentaries, and studies of Hebrew scripture. He has a keen focus on the aesthetic qualities of ancient Hebrew writings, especially the poetry, which he believes is almost entirely lost in all of our English translations.
I first encountered Alter by purchasing his translation of the Psalms a few years ago. I didn't know anything about Hebrew poetry, but I knew enough about English poetry to know that Alter's translation is much more pleasant to read than any versions I had read previously. I've also taken enough English poetics to know that when it comes to poetry, the aesthetic qualities aren't just for decoration. They function as units of meaning, and are essential to conveying the emotive and semantic content of the poem.
Anway, I'm writing all of this because Alter has a new translation that just recently released--The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes (A Translation with Commentary)--and I bought it immediately on my Kindle, as these are among my favorite books in all of scripture. I was giddy with kid-in-candy-store excitement.
Here's a sample passage from Alter's rendering of the third chapter of Job:
Annul the day that I was born
and the night that said, "A man is conceived."
That day, let it be darkness.
Let God above not seek it out,
nor brightness shine upon it.
Let darkness, death's shadow, foul it,
let a cloud-mass rest upon it,
let day-gloom dismay it.
That night, let murk overtake it.
Let it not join in the days of the year,
let it not enter the number of months.
Alter has refreshed my love for these books, and I look forward to reading much more of his extensive body of work in the years to come.
On a side note, one of the most eminent and accessible New Testament scholars in the world, N. T. Wright, has his own translation of the New Testament forthcoming at the end of this month. I intend to pick that up as well.
4 comments:
It's good to see another post from you, Ken. I'm glad to know you're still out there.
If it is not impertinent: why are the wisdom books among your favorites?
Thanks Geoff, it's a pleasure to hear from you.
Specifically, I would say Job and Ecclesiastes are among my favorites, moreso than Proverbs. It's primarily because they are the sore thumbs of Scripture, or to try another metaphor: the Bible's black sheep. They don't play well with the other books. I just find it refreshing that those books are included in holy writ, as it seems that some of the worst atrocities in the world are committed by religious types who think they've got God figured out.
For the past few years I've kept a copy of the King James Version just for reading the books of poetry and wisdom (the translations of them in the more literal versions are frankly pretty depressing). Good to know that someone's treating poetry as poetry, though; I may have to check this guy out.
Luke, I'm sure you would love it. I would offer to let you borrow it if it weren't on my Kindle. : )
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