David Rosenberg, former editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society, has been at work translating the Hebrew Bible for several decades, endeavoring to restore the literary authorship of its diverse books as well as their respective cultures. His efforts have earned him praise from a wide range of poets, critics, and biblical scholars, from Donald Hall to Andrei Codrescu, Anthony Burgess to Walter Bruegemann. His past books include New York Times bestseller The Book of J, with Harold Bloom, The Poet’s Bible, and his biography of Abraham, Abraham: the First Historical Biography.
His most recently published translation, A Literary Bible(Counterpoint, $35), compiles much of the Hebrew Bible in the distinct voices reflected in the original texts, rather than the homogenized versions expected from contemporary translations. His version, while still contemporary in speech, retains the diction of poetry, as in the following passage, from Ecclesiastes:
ECCLESIASTES XIII (6:10)
Anything that has a beginning
everything
was seed in the pot
planted before existence
and named by men
as it flowed into the world
man is also a kind of flower
whose growth is defined
and all that flows from his hands
and with our own little names
we can’t argue with our creator Continue reading
The Hillhurst Review 