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NASB | 2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way. |
Subject: Why is 2 Thess. 2:7 mis-translated? |
Bible Note: 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 By the same token, rare is the modern reader who can fully comprehend the outdated language of the KJV, yet there are those who contend, I think foolishly, that the KJV is the standard by which all other translations should be measured.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 |