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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Why is 2 Thess. 2:7 mis-translated? | 2 Thess 2:7 | justme | 73238 | ||
Searcher56: I am glad to see you are still active. I found a very interesting fact recently, as I have been previewing the TNIV. I stumbled on this quite by accident, and this knowledge has helped me better understand todays versions and their different readings of the same verse. For more than the last fifty years most translations have used what is called Functional Equivalence. Also known as dynamic theory. This type of translation focuses on the ease of understanding for the intended reader. Transparent translations or more direct translations like the KJV or NASB, as example, are harder for most modern readers. Two thirds of the world are able to understand either the NASB or KJV, which is profoundly sad. Often the words used in FE miss the mark or come as close as the translation team can. The popular NIV and NLT are FE as well as NRS, ESV, and NKJV just to name a few. That is what makes a big difference. I hope you find this as interestig as well. justme |
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2 | Why is 2 Thess. 2:7 mis-translated? | 2 Thess 2:7 | Morant61 | 73252 | ||
Greetings Justme! You make an excellent point! May I add though that it goes even further! Translation is very difficult. :-) Greek word orders are different than English. Greek idioms are different than English. To 'literally' translate a verse is really impossible. The words chosen to translate a word, the order in which one places them, and many other variables impact how a verse 'reads' in English. This is why I hesitate to use words like 'mis-translated', expect for those occasions where the text clearly does not support a particular translation. Allow me to provide a relatively simple example. Here is how one very literal rendering of Heb. 13:9 reads: "With teachings various and strange not be carried about; for good with grace to be confirmed the heart, not meats; in which not were profited tose who walked." Here is how the NIV translates this passage: "Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them." Which one makes more sense for an English reader? :-) Now this is a relatively easy verse! There are some where no one is entirely sure how a certain word or phrase should be translated. Of course, there are two points of application from these observations. 1) We should be very careful when accusing people of mis-translating a verse. 2) It takes more than a strong's concordance to qualify one to translate Greek or Hebrew. I know these points don't apply to you my friend, but I thought that they might be good reminders for all of us! :-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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3 | Why is 2 Thess. 2:7 mis-translated? | 2 Thess 2:7 | Hank | 73258 | ||
Tim, your note on translation points to the wisdom contained in the old saying about being careful of what you ask for, because you just might get it! Those who clamor for a 'strictly literal' Bible translation would likely not be too happy with it for reasons you imply: they wouldn't be able to make much sense of it. By the same token, rare is the modern reader who can fully comprehend the outdated language of the KJV, yet there are those who contend, I think foolishly, that the KJV is the standard by which all other translations should be measured. Aside from the obviously quirky "translations" such as the New World Translation and a handful of others, there is no earthly reason to shun such translations as the NIV and NLT solely on the grounds that they are not 'strictly literal' versions. Neither is there reason to adhere only to a single version because it is advertised to be the 'most literal,' since it does not always follow that what is the most literal is the most clear. I've long advocated that it is probably a good idea to choose among the fine translations that are readily available in the marketplace one that could be considered as one's 'main' Bible translation, as one's home base, if you will. But there is no reason not to visit other translations as well. A passage that may strike the reader as obscure in one translation may well be illuminated by another. For example, not infrequently I will turn to the Amplified Bible for light, because it does a generally adequate job of shedding light on difficult locutions by its offering of variant readings of the text. And, in conclusion, you're on the mark when you point out the difficulty of translation. In an age when some supposedly intelligent, English-speaking former political leader doesn't seem to know what "is" is, is it any wonder that the ancient scrolls present vast difficulties to the translators? --Hank | ||||||
4 | Why is 2 Thess. 2:7 mis-translated? | 2 Thess 2:7 | Morant61 | 73291 | ||
Greetings Hank! Well said! :-) Usually, I would advise the average reader to (as you said) use one for one's main translation, but consult several different styles of translation as well. In this way, one can get a better sense of the original meaning. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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