19 Ps 7.11 LXX differs from the Hebrew

Note the ESV of Ps 7.11, taken from the Hebrew: Psalm 7:11 (ESV) God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

The NASB95, NIV84, HCSB, AMP, and KJV all contain the same idea, that every day God is wrathful, indignant about the wickedness and against the wicked mentioned in the preceding verses.

Note the Septuigint (LXX) Greek version of this verse, as translated by Young’s Literal Translation (boldfacing mine), Psalm 7:11 (YLT) God is a righteous judge, And He is not angry at all times.

The Lesham English Septuigint, 2nd Edition (LES2) contains a similar rendering of the Greek version of this verse: Psalm 7:12 (LES2) God is a righteous judge, and strong and longsuffering, not bringing wrath each and every day.

Whereas the Hebrew does not contain a word for “not” in this verse, the LXX does, inserting in the text the Greek particle μή, transliterated mē, pronounced “may”, which Strong’s says means “not” 486 times, “no” 44 times, “that not” 21 times, “God forbid” 15 times, plus a few other lesser used similar meanings.

Commentator Adam Clarke provided an extensive analysis of the difference, concluding the translation containing “not” is best (boldfacing mine):

Verse 11. God is angry with the wicked every day.] The Hebrew for this sentence is the following: ואל זעﬦ בכל יוﬦ veel zoem becol yom; which, according to the points, is, And God is angry every day. Our translation seems to have been borrowed from the Chaldee, where the whole verse is as follows: אלהא דינא זכאה ובתקוף רגיז על רשיעי כל יומא׃ elaha daiyana zaccaah ubithkoph rageiz al reshiey col yoma: “God is a righteous Judge; and in strength he is angry against the wicked every day.”

The VULGATE: Deus Judex justus, fortis, et patiens; numquid irascitur per singulos dies? “God is a Judge righteous, strong, and patient;—will he be angry every day?”

The SEPTUAGINT: Ὁ Θεος Κριτης δικαιος, και ισχυρος, και μακροθυμος, μη οργην επαγων καθʼ ἑκαστην ἡμεραν; “God is a righteous Judge, strong and longsuffering; not bringing forth his anger every day.”

SYRIAC: “God is the Judge of righteousness; he is not angry every day.”

The ARABIC is the same as the Septuagint.

The ÆTHIOPIC: “God is a just Judge, and strong and longsuffering; he will not bring forth tribulation daily.”

COVERDALE: God is a righteous judge, and God is ever threateninge.

KING EEWARD’S Bible by Becke, 1549, follows this reading.

CARDMARDEN: God is a righteous judge, [strong and patient] and God is provoked every day. Cardmarden has borrowed strong and patient from the Vulgate or Septuagint; but as he found nothing in the Hebrew to express them, he put the words in a smaller letter, and included them in brackets. This is followed by the prose version in our Prayer Book.

The GENEVAN version, printed by Barker, the king’s printer, 1615, translates thus: “God judgeth the righteous, and him that contemneth God every day.” On which there is this marginal note: “He doth continually call the wicked to repentance, by some signs of his judgments.”

My ancient Scotico-English MS. Psalter only begins with the conclusion of this Psalm.

I have judged it of consequence to trace this verse through all the ancient versions in order to be able to ascertain what is the true reading, where the evidence on one side amounts to a positive affirmation, “God IS angry every day;” and, on the other side, to as positive a negation, “He is NOT angry every day.” The mass of evidence supports the latter reading. The Chaldee first corrupted the text by making the addition, with the wicked, which our translators have followed, though they have put the words into italics, as not being in the Hebrew text. In the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi there is no various reading on this text.

The true sense may be restored thus:—

אל el, with the vowel point tsere, signifies GOD: אל al, the same letters, with the point pathach, signifies not. Several of the versions have read it in this way: “God judgeth the righteous, and is NOT angry every day.” He is not always chiding, nor is he daily punishing, notwithstanding the continual wickedness of men: hence, the ideas of patience and longsuffering which several of the versions introduce. Were I to take any of the translations in preference to the above, I should feel most inclined to adopt that of Coverdale.

Adam Clarke, The Holy Bible with a Commentary and Critical Notes, New Edition, vol. 3 (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife Corporation, 2014), 235–236.