Bay Psalm II

There are many differences between the Bay Psalm Book's translation of Psalm 2 and Robert Alter's translation, which, while not changing the basic meaning of the psalm, lend themselves to a Christian interpretation that could help colonial settlers justify displacing the Native Americans. The changes may seem subtle to an unfamiliar reader, but would have been conspicuous to the colonists who read the psalm. In the very first line, what Alter translates as "nation", is translated as "heathen" in the Bay Book. Alter gives a more general and broad interpretation to the hebrew, while the ministers who did the Bay translation in 1640 gave it their subconsciously biased interpretation, allowing it to more narrowly describe, in their eyes, the Native Americans. Phrases like, "God spake... I will give the Heathen for thy lot: and of the earth thou shalt possess the utmost coasts abroad" and later, "crush [the Heathens] with iron rod," reaffirmed to the new American settlers that God supported colonization, that it was God's will. The Bay translators also give the meaning "kiss yee the Son," which is dramatically different from Alter's translation. The ministers who translated it gave it a Christian meaning by interpreting it as referring to Jesus Christ. While it is impossible for any translation to be entirely impartial, the Bay translation, when compared to Alter's more objective approach, shows its inclination quite clearly.