Week 3 prompt blog: Psalm 2

The task of translating a religious text presents a number of challenges and choices that a translator must face. This task is made even more difficult when the material is poetic and lyrical in nature. This is the case for the Hebrew Psalms. Examination of two translations of the Psalms, Robert Alter's and an early puritan translation reveals how social and political context can be seen through Biblical translation.
Alter and other scholars believe that Psalm 2 is a result of a historic military conflict. The tone of the psalm seems like a motivational rally cry. The author speaks of the enemy negatively, and explains how God shows his chosen favor, and his enemies wrath.
There are a number of noteworthy differences between our two translations that suggest something about the puritans' situation. The puritan version of verses 1 and 8 of Psalm 2 use the term heathen to describe the "enemy" while Alter takes a more political approach to the Psalms and speak of "nations". Considering the puritan situation, it seems likely that this Psalm was influenced by conflicts both with differing religious denominations, which became a growing concern during this period, and possibly with natives (who would have been considered heathens). It makes sense that this Psalm would have been used to deal with the similar "political" conflicts that the puritans faced.
We see also how in verses 7 and 8 the idea of being a chosen people destined control "nations" is incorporated by puritans in their destiny that includes possessing the "heathens' lot" and the "coasts abroad". Even a basic knowledge in American history is enough to see how this Psalm reflects the take over of Native land and the development of a Manifest Destiny.
These differences suggest that the puritans took the Hebrew belief that they were a chosen people destined to conquer all who opposed them and their god and inherit the Earth, and made similar claims about their life in the New World.
Being able to look beneath the words and religious implications of these texts allows us to see how religion is a dynamic entity that influences and is influenced by culture and context.