They Who Go Down to the Sea in Ships

When I was in the Canadian Navy many years ago, Psalm 107: 23-30 was frequently heard in chapel services. This passage shows that Yahweh protects sailors against the elements of nature.

In this essay, this passage is quoted from seven versions of the Bible. At first glance, there appear to be grammatical errors, especially in the use of verbs. A closer examination will show that, from a scientific aspect of translation, there may not be a problem. What it does show is that the translation has been done as a work of art. Although one may show literary qualities better than another, these are in evidence in all the versions.

The passage is briefly examined in each version from the standpoint of literature style. The points considered are as follows:

1. form of literature
2. tense of the verbs
3. mood of the verbs
4. voice of the verbs
5. use of participles and gerunds
6. examples of imagery

After this examination, I turn to one of the miracles of Yahshua that is recorded in each of the Synoptic Gospels. I use Mark’s account as it appears in the Tindale New Testament. Finally, I leave a few questions for my reader.

1. AAT – An American Translation (Beck)
2. JBK – Jerusalem Bible (Koren)
3. LB – Living Bible
4. MNT – Moffatt New Translation
5. NCV – New Century Version
6. NWT – New World Translation
7. TJB – Jerusalem Bible (Catholic)

1. WTNT – William Tindale Newe Testament

23. Those who go down to sail the sea in ships,
    who do their business on the high seas,
24. see what the LORD can do
    and His wonders in the deep waters.
25. He spoke and raised a storm
    and made its waves dash high.
26. Men went up to the heights and down to the depths;
    the disaster melts their courage;
27. reeling and staggering like drunkards,
    all their skills go topsy-turvy.
28. Then they cry to the LORD in their trouble,
    and He brings them out of their distress.
29. He makes the storm calm down,
    and the waves around them are still.
30. They are glad it is quiet.
    So He leads them to the haven they long for.

Form of Literature:

Poetry

Tense of the Verbs:

23 – Present tense referring to that which may be found at all times

24 – Simple present tense

25 – Simple past tense

26 – Shifting from simple past tense to simple present tense

27 – Simple present tense

28 – Simple present tense

29 – Simple present tense

30 – Simple present tense

Mood of the Verbs:

24 – Imperative mood

Indicative mood elsewhere

Voice of the Verbs:

All active voice

Use of Participles and Gerunds:

27 – Participial phrase

Examples of Imagery:

26 – melts their courage

27 – like drunkards; all their skills go topsy-turvy

23. They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
24. these saw the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
25. For he commanded, and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves thereof.
26. They mount up to the sky, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted away because of trouble.
27. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end.
28. Then they cry to the LORD in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distresses.
29. He makes the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
30. Then they are glad because they are quiet; and he brings them to their desired haven.

Form of Literature:

Prose

Tense of the Verbs:

23 – Present tense referring to that which may be found at all times

24 – Simple past tense

25 – Simple past tense

26 – Simple present tense

27 – Simple present tense

28 – Simple present tense

29 – Simple present tense

30 – Simple present tense

Mood of the Verbs:

Indicative Mood

Voice of the Verbs:

26 – Shifting from active voice to passive voice; active voice elsewhere

Use of Participles and Gerunds:

No participles or gerunds

Examples of Imagery:

26 – mount up to the sky; their soul is melting away

27 – like a drunken man

23. And then there are sailors sailing the seven seas, plying the trade routes of the world.
24. They, too, observe the power of God in action.
25. He calls to the storm winds; the waves rise high.
26. Their ships are tossed to the heavens and sink again to the depths; the sailors cringe in terror.
27. They reel and stagger like drunkards and are at their wit’s end.
28. Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and he saves them.
29. He calms the storm and stills the waves.
30. What a blessing is that stillness, as he brings them safely into harbour!

Form of Literature:

Prose

Tense of the Verbs:

23 – Present tense referring to that which may be found at all times

24 – Simple present tense

25 – Simple present tense

26 – Simple present tense

27 – Simple present tense

28 – Simple present tense

29 – Simple present tense

30 – Simple present tense

Mood of the Verbs:

Indicative mood

Voice of the Verbs:

26 – Shifting from passive voice to active voice; active voice elsewhere

Use of Participles and Gerunds:

23 – Present participle

Examples of Imagery:

26 – tossed to the heavens

27 – like drunkards

23. Some crossed the sea in ships,
    trading in great waters;
24. they saw what the Eternal does,
    his marvels in the deep.
25. When the gale rose at his bidding,
    and the waves tossed with the storm,
26. they soared to heaven, sank to the depth,
    their courage melting;
27. they reeled and staggered like a drunken man.
    and were at their wit’s end.
28. They cried to the Eternal in their need,
    to save them from their evil plight;
29. he stilled the storm to a whisper,
    till the waves were hushed –
30. glad were they for the calm —
    and then he brought them to their longed-for haven.

Form of Literature:

Poetry

Tense of the Verbs:

23 – Simple past tense referring to that which may be found at all times

24 – Simple past

25 – Simple past

26 – Simple past

27 – Simple past

28 – Simple past

29 – Simple past

30 – Simple past

Mood of the Verbs:

Indicative mood

Voice of the Verbs:

29 – Shifting from active voice to passive voice; active voice elsewhere

Use of Participles and Gerunds:

23 – Present participle

25 – Gerund

26 – Present participle

Examples of Imagery:

26 – soared to heaven; their courage melting

27 – like a drunken man

23. Others went out to sea in ships
    and did business on the great oceans.
24. They saw what the LORD could do,
    the miracles he did in the deep oceans.
25. He spoke, and a storm came up,
    which blew up high waves.
26. The ships were tossed as high as the sky and fell low to the depths.
    The storm was so bad that they lost their courage.
27. They stumbled and fell like people who were drunk.
    They did not know what to do.
28. In their misery they cried out to the LORD,
    and he saved them from their troubles.
29. He stilled the storm
    and calmed the waves.
30. They were happy that it was quiet,
    and God guided them to the port they wanted.

Form of Literature:

Poetry

Tense of the Verbs:

23 – Simple past referring to that which may be found at all times

24 – Simple past

25 – Simple past

26 – Simple past

27 – Simple past

28 – Simple past

29 – Simple past

30 – Simple past

Mood of the Verbs:

Indicative mood

Voice of the Verbs:

26 – Shifting from passive voice to active voice; active voice elsewhere

Use of Participles and Gerunds:

No gerunds or participles

Examples of Imagery:

26 – as high as the sky

27 – like people who were drunk

23. Those going down to the sea in the ships,
    Doing business on vast waters,
24. They are the ones that have seen the works of Jehovah
    And his wonderful works in the depths;
25. How he says [the word] and causes a tempestuous wind to rise,
    So that it lifts up its waves.
26. They go up to the heavens,
    They go down to the bottoms.
    Because of the calamity their very soul finds itself melting.
27. They reel and move unsteadily like a drunken man.
    And even all their wisdom proves confused.
28. And they begin crying out to Jehovah in their distress,
    And out of the stresses upon them he brings them forth.
29. He causes the windstorm to stand at a calm,
    So that the waves of the sea keep quiet.
30. And they rejoice because these become still,
    And he leads them to the haven of their delight.

Form of Literature:

Poetry

Tense of the Verbs:

23 – No verb

24 – Present tense referring to that which may be found at all times, shifting to present perfect tense

25 – Present tense referring to that which may be found at all times, shifting to simple present tense

26 – Simple present tense

27 – Simple present tense

28 – Simple present tense

29 – Simple present tense

30 – Simple present tense

Mood of the Verbs:

Indicative mood

Voice of the Verbs:

27 – Shifting from active voice to passive voice, with infinitive “to be” omitted; active voice elsewhere

Use of Participles and Gerunds:

23 – Present participle

26 – Present participle

27 – Past participle

28 – Gerund

Examples of Imagery:

26 – up to the heavens; down to the bottoms; their very soul finds itself melting

23. Others, taking ship, and going to sea,
    were plying their business across the ocean;
24. they too saw what Yahweh could do,
    what marvels on the deep!
25. He spoke and raised a gale,
    lashing up towering waves.
26. Flung to the sky, then plunged to the depths,
    they lost their nerve in the ordeal,
27. staggering and reeling like drunkards
    with all their seamanship adrift.
28. Then they called to Yahweh in their trouble
    and he rescued them from their sufferings,
29. reducing the storm to a whisper
    until the waves grew quiet,
30. bringing them, glad at the calm
    safe to the port they were bound for.

Form of Literature:

Poetry

Tense of the Verbs:

23 – Past progressive tense

24 – Simple past tense

25 – Simple past tense

26 – Simple past tense

27 – No verb

28 – Simple past tense

29 – Simple past

30 – Simple past

Mood of the Verbs:

Indicative mood

Voice of the Verbs:

Active voice

Use of Participles and Gerunds:

23 – Present participle

25 – Present participle

26 – Past participle

27 – Present participle

29 – Present participle

30 – Present participle

Examples of Imagery:

25 – lashing up towering waves

26 – flung to the sky; plunged to the depths

27 – like drunkards; with all their seamanship adrift

29 – to a whisper

WTNT – And there arose a great storm of wind, and dashed the waves into the ship, so that it was full. And he was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke him, and said unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he rose up and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, and be still. And the wind alaid [ceased], and there followed a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What fellow is this, for both the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4, Last Paragraph)

These examples from Psalm 107 include two as prose and five as poetry. Which type creates a more vivid piece of literature? Does it make any difference whether the present tense or the past tense is used?

There is a resemblance between the description in this psalm and the account of the disciples on the stormy sea as recorded in Mark 4. Was the psalmist describing a common experience? Was he being prophetic of the event with the disciples? Was there a little of both involved?

I hope that my reader has an appreciation for the literary aspect of this psalm. I leave it to him to assess its implication.