Using an English dictionary

John Chezik
John Chezik Member Posts: 7
edited November 21 in English Forum

Selecting a word in a bible pops up a nice Word Info window, containing technical information about the greek.  Because I do not know greek, this is very rarely useful to me.  Of great value would be the option of having an English definition of the selected word appear in the pop up.  As english words can have multiple meanings, ideally the definition that the translators had in mind would be displayed.

I see a few posts related to this need have been made over many years, and some multistep work arounds identified, but no real solution that I have seen.  Is there a solution that I have missed?  

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  • xnman
    xnman Member Posts: 2,838 ✭✭✭

    I too think this would be a great idea!

    xn = Christan man=man -- Acts 11:26 "....and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch".

    Barney Fife is my hero! He only uses an abacus with 14 rows!

  • JT (alabama24)
    JT (alabama24) MVP Posts: 36,512

    Of great value would be the option of having an English definition of the selected word appear

    ideally the definition that the translators had in mind would be displayed.

    These are two different issues. The former has been requested... I <think> it is on the radar. The latter is not really possible. For that matter, sometimes words are chosen because they are ambiguous to some extent. For example, consider the NIV text for 1 Ti 3:11.

    In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

    The "translators" (not a person, but a "committee") intentionally chose a vague term... or at least vague compared to other translations such as the CSB:

    Wives, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything.

    The NIV could have been more clear... Here would be MY translation, based upon the NIV text: In the same way, the women who serve as deacons are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

    I am sure that the NIV "translators" (again, a committee) likely had translators who interpreted "the women" as either (the deacon's) wives OR the women (deacons). There may have also been "translators" for the CSB who take my view, but there will not always be 100% conformity of thought. 

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