Bible Question: I was told that the old testament was originally printed with no comma's or periods However the sentences just go on and on. A man at a prayer meeting shared this and believe me I am totally confused. I felt that he was taking things out of context because of no comma's or periods. Kindly explain. |
Bible Answer: Greek and Hebrew are very different languages, and altogether different from English. They not only 'look' different, but they differ dramatically in their form and function. Because English is related through other languages to Greek, most people can make out some of the Greek letters and can understand certain Greek terms. But Hebrew is another story. There are very, very few terms in Hebrew that even sound similar to English terms. And most people think of 'chicken scratchings' when they see the Hebrew script. If you have ever seen Hebrew, it is a language far removed from English form and does not contain punctuation. The two languages also differ in their complexity and flexibility. Hebrew is an ancient tongue, and as such is rather 'concrete' in tone. What is says, it says, and it does not contain nearly the same ability to express subtle nuances and shades of meaning as either English or Greek. Often one is left with a number of possible renderings of particular Hebrew phrases. The language simply does not narrow down the possibilities as well as modern tongues. Greek, on the other hand, far exceeds English in its ability to convey intricate meanings and delicate turns of thought. This same ability makes it possible to narrow the spectrum of possible English translations to a much greater degree than that seen in Hebrew. Greek is a more technical language, a more precise language then either Hebrew or English. The form of writing that was used in both the Old and New Testaments changed over time as well. The Hebrew language grew and changed over the centuries, as did the characters utilized to write it. Our modern Hebrew texts are written in a form of that is different than that which was used originally. Furthermore, the dots or 'vowel pointing' that you see in some manuscripts under Hebrew letters were not used until much later. Similarly, the NT manuscripts were first written in all capital letters (and are therefore called 'uncial' texts) without punctuation or spaces between words. This literary form of writing prevailed until about the 9th century, when a different style of writing, the 'minuscule' form, became predominant.Sources: Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible, "The King James Verson Debate" by D.A. Carson, "The King James Only Controversy" by James R. White |
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MIILAZ | ||
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amhobson123 | ||
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Hank | ||
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kalos | ||
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melchizedekau | ||
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Jaded13 | ||
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308 - 15151 Prospect Ave, White | ||
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Makarios | ||
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byfaithalone | ||
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EllisYM | ||
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glory777 |