The Mechanical Translation of the Psalms is unlike any other translation available. Each Psalm is presented word-for-word in its original Hebrew order, preserving the structure and concrete meaning of the language rather than reshaping it into polished devotional English. The aim is not to interpret the text for you, but to let the Hebrew speak for itself.
Alongside the mechanical rendering is a revised version arranged into clearer English while remaining faithful to the original wording. This is an ongoing project, and new translations and commentaries are added as they are completed.
A word-for-word translation of the Bible is possible when Hebrew vocabulary is understood from an ancient Hebraic perspective. Rather than assigning different meanings to a word based on its context, we can identify its underlying meaning and recognize how that meaning is applied in different passages. This allows the same Hebrew word to be translated consistently, revealing connections often hidden in traditional translations.
The Mechanical Translation is a word-for-word approach to translating the Hebrew Bible that seeks to eliminate personal and religious bias by translating every Hebrew word, prefix, and suffix consistently. It provides both a literal and readable translation, accompanied by a dictionary and concordance, allowing readers to explore the original Hebrew vocabulary, structure, and meaning while also serving as a tool for learning Biblical Hebrew.
1 HAPPY {אַשְׁרֵי / ash'rey} the~MAN {הָאִישׁ / ha'ish} WHICH {אֲשֶׁר / a'sher} NOT {לֹא / lo} he~did~WALK(V) {הָלַךְ / ha'lakh} in~COUNSEL {בַּעֲצַת / ba'a'tsat} LOST~s {רְשָׁעִים / rê'sha'iym} and~in~ROAD {וּבְדֶרֶךְ / uv'de'rekh} FAILURE~s {חַטָּאִים / hha'ta'im} NOT {לֹא / lo} he~did~STAND(V) {עָמָד / a'mad} and~in~SETTLING {וּבְמוֹשַׁב / uv'moshav} MIMIC(V)~ing(mp) {לֵצִים / leytsiym} NOT {לֹא / lo} he~did~SETTLE(V) {יָשָׁב / ya'shav} RMT: Happy is the man that does not walk in the counsel of the lost ones, and in the road of the ones of failure he does not stand, and the settling places[1] of the mockers he does not settle.