About The Translation:

The task of choosing the translation for the Psalm 23 text was something that we did not take lightly, nor was it rushed.  The translation that we determined for our book, is the result of diligently comparing ten known and trusted Bible versions. We looked at 16th century translations like, the Coverdale Bible, John Calvin’s own translation from his “Commentary on Psalms”, the Geneva Bible, as well as the Authorized Version from 1611. From the most recent past, we looked at versions like, Young’s Literal, the NKJV (1982), the NIV (1984), the NASB (1995), the ESV (2001), and, the NET (2005).  This variety provided us with a nice compliment of ‘formal equivalency’ and ‘dynamic equivalency’ translations to choose our text from.  

 

Our guiding principle for choosing the text was smoothness, clarity, and, accuracy towards the meaning of the 

Hebrew text, both literal and in essence. It is true that there is no such thing as a perfect translation between two 

languages, but it is also true that the word of God is contained in even the most basic translations — this very 

sentiment is expressed by the Authorized translators in their “Translators to the Reader” section, at the front of the KJV Bible. All of the translations of which we leaned on are of very high acclaim for accuracy and readability.

 

The original language of Psalm 23 is Hebrew, and, like all languages, Hebrew has its own unique idioms, also called ‘Hebraisms’. These are words, or phrases, that express a meaning that the literal words used in the Hebrew do not convey.  For example, in Romans chapter 10, the apostle Paul uses a ‘Hebraism’, when in verse 15, he says, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace.” This phrase, quoted by the apostle, is found in Isaiah 52:7.  Whilst the text in Hebrew, and in the case of Romans, does say that the messenger of the “gospel” (Romans), or “good tidings” (Isaiah), has “beautiful feet”, this phrase is a ‘Hebraism’, and its meaning has nothing to do with the physical appearance of the messenger’s feet.  Rather, the meaning is this — ‘How timely’ is it for this good news to come.  

 

In many of the translations we looked at, verse 2 reads “he leads me beside the still waters”, or “quiet waters”.  

The Coverdale Bible has “fresh water”, which agrees with the NET’s “refreshing water”.  For this verse, upon learning that it is a Hebraism, we chose the translation of John Calvin for this verse, “he leads me to gently flowing waters.”  We chose this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, “quiet” or “still” waters, though correct in translation, do not reflect the image that the Hebrew reader would see in his mind when hearing this phrase.  In English, the phrases “quiet” or “still” waters, presents an image of waters that are not moving; and this is not what the phrase intends. The intent 

of this phrase is that the waters are ‘gently flowing’. Second, the Hebrew listener would understand these waters to be ‘living waters’; meaning, they have a source that renews and refreshes the waters, like a stream. Thus, they are fresh waters and not stagnant like a pond or a slough.  The Psalmist declares, that God’s sheep drink from the living waters of life, waters that are ‘gently flowing’ and ‘refreshing’. This is but one example of the decision process of which we undertook to determine each word of the wonderful text of this book.  

 

God’s word is the source, and with prayerful guidance, this translation is the result. If it be God’s will, we hope to bring this little book to many “ nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,” (Rev.7:9) through translations into other languages.

 

About The Font:

We faced a unique challenge in choosing a font for The LORD Is My Shepherd; for, it is not only a book for young children, but it is for all God’s children, regardless of age. The charming watercolour illustrations are       enjoyable at any age; and, likewise, the beloved Psalm 23 invites you back again and again throughout life’s journey to enjoy a peaceful moment. We desired to choose a font that would be easy for a young reader, and also be suitable for all ages and reading abilities. The font we chose is Georgia. It is a typeface that is widely recognized and appreciated for being pleasant, timeless, & reader-friendly. We decided on 14pt size which is the smallest recommended for children’s literature, and also happens to be a great size for intermediate, and older readers alike.

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With thanks, Two Swallows House