The Hebrew Bible: A Translation and Commentary by Robert Alter

As I mentioned in a FB post, quite excitedly, a few days ago, I have started reading through The Hebrew Bible: A Translation and Commentary by Robert Alter. One may wonder why Alter felt another translation of the Hebrew Bible was justified, and why I am so excited about it. He writes, "The present translation is an experiment in re-presenting the Bible...in a language that conveys with some precision the semantic nuances and the lively orchestration of literary effects of the Hebrew and at the same time has stylistic and rhythmic integrity as literary English." He goes on, "...the modern English versions...have placed readers at a grotesque distance from the distinctive literary experience of the Bible in its original language."

He explains what he considers to be the problem with most modern English translations as follows: "The unacknowledged heresy underlying most modern English versions of the Bible is the use of translation as a vehicle for explaining the Bible instead of representing it in another language, and in the most egregious instances this amounts to explaining away the Bible." Alter adds to his translation, succinct but clarifying commentary that explains the choices he has made.

If the price of his translation of the entire Hebrew Bible is beyond your means (and it isn’t cheap), portions can be purchased such as: "The Five Books of Moses," "The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes," "The Book of Psalms," etc. These are each quite affordable, especially in paperback and kindle editions.

To, perhaps, whet your appetite, I’ve included  a comparison of translations of Genesis 1:1–2 and 1:26–27, from the New International Version (NIV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), the NET Bible and Alter’s Translation, broken down in short phrases for ease of comparison. While nothing revolutionary is found in Alter’s translation of these passages, I still think the careful reader can see some subtle differences (underlined) that call for explanation—as per his commentary.

Comparison of Translations

Gen 1:1–2	NIV	NRSV	NET Bible	Alter’s Translation
	In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.	In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,	In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.	When God began to create heaven and earth,
	Now the earth was formless and empty,	the earth was a formless void	Now the earth was without shape and empty,	and the earth then was welter and waste
	darkness was over the surface of the deep	and darkness covered the face of the deep,	and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep,	and darkness over the deep
	and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.	while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.	but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.	and God’s breath hovering over the waters,
Gen 1:26–27	NIV	NRSV	NET Bible	Alter’s Translation
	Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,	Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;	Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness,	And God said, “Let us make a human in our image, by our likeness,
	and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,	and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air,	so that they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,	to hold sway over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the heavens
	over the livestock, over all the earth	and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth,	over the cattle, and over all the earth,	and the cattle and the wild beasts
	and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”	and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”	and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”	and all the crawling things that crawl upon the earth.”
	So, God created man in his own image,	So, God create humankind in his image,	God created humankind in his own image,	And God created the human in his image,
	in the image of God he created him;	in the image of God he created them;	in the image of God he created them,	in the image of God He created him,
	male and female he created them.	male and female he created them.	male and female he created them.	male and female He created them.

Robert Alter is Professor in the Graduate School and Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967.  He has written widely on the European novel from the eighteenth century to the present, on contemporary American fiction, and on modern Hebrew literature.   He has also written extensively on literary aspects of the Bible.

His “Introductions” to the Hebrew Bible, and the various segments and biblical books, contain some words that most of us do not use in our day-to-day verbal or written communication. But the information and insight that the “Introductions” provide are priceless, if one is willing to utilize a good English dictionary from time-to-time. Alter does not spoon feed his readers but challenges them to ponder and reflect. The end result is more than worth the effort.