Earlier today I posted my first impressions of Robert Alter’s the Five Books of Moses.  There is a section in the introduction that I think is well worth the read, even if you don’t completely agree with Alter’s theory of translation.  It is entitled “The Bible in English and the Heresy of Explanation.”  Here’s a…

I have in the past used Alter’s translations not just of the Five Books of Moses, but also of the Psalms and David Story, especially when studying a particular passage.  (Incidentally, I see that there is also a translation of the Wisdom Literature forthcoming).  But, I recently decided to read through his translation of the…