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 PrintableVersion Serious mistranslations of the BibleCommendable zeal, but…SERIOUS MISTRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE There is little doubt that the author has a deep love for the Bible and a commendable concern for getting the translation of Scripture from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek right. He also sees a time and place for paraphrases and other renderings of the biblical story, a sentiment I would agree with heartily. However, when it comes to how to establish the meaning of the Greek words used in the New Testament, how to transfer meaning from one language to another, and even basics such as the functions of grammar, the author of this book often takes eccentric and sometimes misinformed positions. Furthermore, there is little reference or interaction with the works of other people who have devoted their lives to translation, to writing detailed commentaries on the meaning of the source text, and to other forms of scholarship. Some issues discussed deal with ‘Incorrect Word Meanings’, and frequently these words could be used in support of a doctrine of election. One of these is found in Acts 13.48: ‘As many as had been appointed to eternal life believed’. The author solves this by arguing for the translation: ‘As many as were determined (in their heart) ...’ Here a move is made that works with the possible meanings of ‘to determine’ in English but not in the Greek. Some other examples are where grammar is supposedly misunderstood. So the author ‘solves’ the ‘error’ in 1 Timothy 2.22 by interpreting the verb ‘to have authority’ (a single word in Greek) as a verb followed by a noun. This helps him to translate ‘over the husband’ as ‘to have the authority of a husband’. Again, the solution is by means of English grammar, but this does not work in the Greek. There are many other examples of erroneous interpretations or misunderstandings of the Greek — which is a shame, given the author’s obvious zeal for Scripture. As it stands, it is difficult to recommend this book. Dirk Jongkind, © Evangelicals Now - July 2011 |
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