Ana Angulo-Lit40 - Project 5B

Versions Used & Origins

English Version: New International Version (NIV) www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalms%2023&version=NIV

Date: First published 1978
Origin: Evangelical Christian translation by the Committee on Bible Translation (United States + international scholars)
Original sources: Based on Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek original manuscripts (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, Septuagint comparisons, Dead Sea Scrolls).
Style: Dynamic equivalence (modern English, accessible, interpretive style).

Spanish Version: Biblia de Jerusalén (BJ)

Date: First published 1967; revised editions afterward
Origin: Catholic translation developed by the École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem (French Biblical School of Jerusalem).
Original sources: Also translated from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek originals, especially the Biblia Hebraica manuscripts.
Style: More literal, formal, closer to Hebrew poetic structures; widely respected in scholarship.

Selected Biblical Texts

Psalm 23:4–6
(These are NOT translations of each other — BOTH come from Hebrew.)

NIV (English)

4. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Biblia de Jerusalén (Español)

4. Aunque camine por valle de sombras de muerte, nada temo, porque tú vas conmigo; tu vara y tu cayado me sosiegan.

5. Tú preparas ante mí una mesa, frente a mis enemigos; unges con óleo mi cabeza, y mi copa rebosa.

6. Sí, dicha y gracia me acompañan todos los días de mi vida; y habitaré en la casa de Yahvé por años sin término.

Analysis of Differences & Possible Reasons (Hebrew Influence)

VERSE 4

1. “darkest valley” (NIV) vs. “valle de sombras de muerte” (BJ)

Hebrew: גֵּיא צַלְמָוֶת (gei tsalmávet)

This can mean:

- “valley of deep darkness”
- OR “valley of the shadow of death”

NIV chooses a contemporary interpretation: “darkest valley.”

Biblia de Jerusalén keeps the traditional, literal phrasing: “sombras de muerte.”

Meaning difference:
English emphasizes emotional darkness; Spanish emphasizes mortal danger.

2. “they comfort me” vs. “me sosiegan”

Hebrew verb: יִנְחָמֻנִי (yinḥamuni)
Usually “comfort,” “console.”
BJ uses “sosiegan” (calm, pacify), closer to “give peace” than “console.”

Meaning difference:
NIV: emotional comfort
BJ: inner peace/calm

VERSE 5

3. “in the presence of my enemies” vs. “frente a mis enemigos”

Hebrew: נֶגֶד צֹרְרָי (néged tsoreray)
Literally: “in front of my oppressors.”
NIV uses “in the presence of” (more interpretive).
BJ uses “frente a” (closer to literal Hebrew).

Meaning difference:
English: enemies witness your blessing.
Spanish: directly “in front of” the enemies.

4. “my cup overflows” vs. “mi copa rebosa”

Very similar, almost identical across languages.

VERSE 6

6. “goodness and love” vs. “dicha y gracia”

Hebrew: טוֹב וָחֶסֶד (tov va-ḥésed)
ḥésed: difficult to translate — can mean mercy, covenant loyalty, loving-kindness.

NIV: “goodness and love” (interpreting ḥésed as love).
BJ: “dicha y gracia” (interpreting it as divine favor/grace).

Meaning difference:
English: emotional/relational love.
Spanish: theological notion of grace.

Why These Differences Exist

Although both the NIV and Biblia de Jerusalén come from the same Hebrew texts, their theological traditions, translation philosophies, and interpretations of ambiguous Hebrew terms create meaningful differences. These variations can change the emotional tone, doctrinal implications, and poetic structure of the passage.