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Re: translations » AuntieMel

Posted by MKB on January 9, 2005, at 23:09:56

In reply to Re: translations » gardenergirl, posted by AuntieMel on January 7, 2005, at 9:20:00

> Most of the currently used Christian bibles have numerous translation errors in the Old Testament.

You state this as a fact and I believe you are incorrect. Which versions are you talking about? What are the translation errors? Contemporary translations are done with teams of highly educated scholars who are well-versed in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. They are very careful to use the best and oldest available documents to construct an accurate translation.
>
> Likely it was more like playing "telephone." The first translation from Hebrew was to Greek, which later went to English, and then to the King James version.

Perhaps you are speaking of the Septuagint, which was the Old Testament translated into Greek. This may have been used in the original King James version, but modern translations are not based solely on this. Nor are they based solely on the King James version, which was an excellent translation considering it was in 1611.

In most modern translations, you will find a preface that explains how the translation was made. Here is an excerpt from the preface of the New King James Version:
"In addition to referring to a variety of ancient versions of the Hebrew Scriptures, the New King James Version draws on the resources of relevant manuscripts from the Dead Sea caves. In the few places where the Hebrew was so obscure that the 1611 King James Version was compelled to follow one of the versions, but where information is now available to resolve the problems, the New King James Version follows the Hebrew text. Significant variations are recorded in the center reference column."

Regarding the popular New International Version, the preface states the following: "For the Old Testament the standard Hebrew text, the Masoretic text as published in the latest editions of the Biblia Hebraica, was used throughout. The Dead Scrolls contain material bearing on an earlier stage of the Hebrew text. They were consulted, as were the Samaritan Pentateuch and the ancient tribal traditions relating to textual changes."

There are other modern translations that are equally sound in scholarship. However, there is a difference between a translation and a paraphrase version. It is important for the Bible student to know the difference.

> It's a quite interesting exercise to compare one of the modern Bibles to a direct Hebrew - English translation.

Christian ministers compare Hebrew and English all the time. A great many pastors are trained in Biblical languages and consult the Hebrew scriptures as they prepare their sermons. I would truly appreciate it if you would present examples of the differences you perceive to be there.


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