Do you consider faith to be one of the most significant responsibilities in your life? In fact, do you even consider your faith to be a responsibility? More often than not, faith serves a positive and favorable role in one’s life, connecting one’s physical and spiritual reality. However, it is also possible for one to reflect on their faith and relationship with God and experience feelings of doubt, stress, and fear. The biblical Book of Psalms is an ultimate source of worship to God highlighting several fundamental aspects of faith. Through the use of prayer and poetry, the Book of Psalms includes messages of praise, trust, gratitude, commitment, love, and fear. The Septuagint, King James Bible, and The Sidney Psalter all put their own unique and creative spin on the Book of Psalms, and therefore, the messages embedded in these texts can have varying meanings and interpretations.
Throughout the Book of Psalms, there is a subtle tone of fear behind several of the verses. For example, the Septuagint states “serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling” (Psalm 2:11). Additionally, the Septuagint says “the fool has said in their heart: there is no God. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Psalm 13:1-3). There is an interesting contrast in the language used to describe God as these verses advise that fearing the Lord is effective; meanwhile other verses state “our soul waits for the Lord, for He is our helper and our defender” (Psalm 32:20). Therefore, there is conflicting language used to describe one’s relationship with God as the bible describes that one should fear God’s judgment, but also believe that He is the ultimate protector and helper.
Although very similar, the Septuagint, King James Bible, and The Sidney Psalter all uniquely present certain messages differently. The Sidney Psalter states “cast on God’s shoulders what thee down doth weigh. Long borne by thee with bearing pained and pinned; to care for thee He shall ever be kind” (Psalm 55: 62-63), and similarly, the King James Bible states “cast thy burden upon the Lord, an he shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22). However, there is an interesting contrast between the language used in the Septuagint compared to the King James Bible and The Sidney Psalter. Instead of “cast thy burden upon the Lord”, the Septuagint reads “cast thy care upon the Lord” (Psalm 54:22) which can be interpreted differently than the other two texts. By replacing the word burden with care, the Septuagint indicates that humans should not only engage with God about the troubling aspects of life, but all aspects of life- anything one may care about and love.
In modern day religion and society, it is encouraged to not only seek God when one is in trouble, but seek Him in moments of happiness, gratitude, joy, peace, and love. The church emphasizes that God is a part of all moments of life and His presence and role should always be recognized. The way that the verse is presented in the King James Bible and The Sidney Psalter alludes to the idea that humans should seek God when life becomes burdensome and difficult, while the Septuagint emphasizes that one should seek God about any aspect of one’s life which they care about- the good and the bad!.
The Psalms in the Septuagint, King James Bible, and The Sidney Psalter are relatively very similar, but there are minor differences such as using “burden” instead of “care” that initiate different interpretations for the reader. Although the Septuagint is known for its more poetic and creative flow, The Sidney Psalter is definitely more dramatic and modernized and less formal than the other texts.
Leave a Reply