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The Ancient Hebrews had a deep respect for the Holy Scriptures. They had an even deeper respect (bordering on fear) for the Name of God. The Levitical Scribes eventually stopped writing THE NAME and all we have left today are the consonant sounds which in the Hebrew (right to left) is “Yodh He Vav He”. Or when we add our guessed-at vowel sounds it is translated Yahweh or Jehovah.

So the Name of God is actually lost. But what is retained are their memorization and study helps, like Acrostics.

The most famous of these is in Psalm 119. One hundred and seventy six verses (the longest chapter in the Bible) are arranged in 22 series of 8 verses each. Twenty-two because that coincides with the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. In each section of eight verses, the first word of each verse begins with the same corresponding letter.

There is a beautiful poetry and symmetry that results but no English Bible has even attempted to reproduce this structure  for our benefit. . .until now!

Here are two  of the 22 sections translated (and arranged) according to the original (in the New King James Translation);

MEM

97        Meditation all the day is my delight; O how I love Your law!

98       My enemies cannot attain to the wisdom I have gained through Your commandments; for they are ever with me.

99        More understanding than all my teachers is mine, for Your testimonies are my meditation.

100       Many and wise are the ancients, but I have more understanding than they, because I keep Your precepts.

101       My feet I have refrained from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.

102       Mentors are many but You Yourself have taught me; therefore I have not departed from your judgments.

103       Much sweeter than honey to my mouth are Your words to my taste.

104       May I hate every false way; because through Your precepts I get understanding.

NUN

105       Now Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

106       Nothing will prevent me from keeping Your righteous judgments; for I have sworn and I will perform it.

107       Never ending seems my affliction; revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.

108       Notice and accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me Your judgments.

109       None of Your laws will I forget; though my life is continually in my hand.

110       Nets have the wicked laid as a snare for me; yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.

111       Name me for Your testimonies; for I take them as an heritage forever; they are the rejoicing of my heart.

112       Not to perform Your statutes is forever far from me; for I have inclined my heart to thee; even to the very end.

 

You will notice the Hebrew letter / name before the section. This is the letter with which each verse begins in the original Hebrew. In translating, of course this is not automatic or even close. In fact there are only a few verses of the 176 in this chapter that just happen to begin with the same (or similar) letter when compared to the Hebrew.

Part of the problem is that while the Hebrew alphabet contains 22 characters, the English alphabet has 26. But what we have done is to match as closely as possible the represented sounds between the two cultures.

The result is a translation that retains the poetry and symmetry and even much of the beauty and of course the Spiritual intent of the original.

To date, the English versions of the Bible known as the “King James”, “New King James” and “New International” have been adapted. Other versions and acrostic chapters will be finished soon.