Can I search within a commentator's translation?

Allen Browne
Allen Browne Member Posts: 1,897 ✭✭✭
edited November 2024 in English Forum

In many commentaries, the commentator includes their own translation of the Biblical text.
Is it possible to search that text?

AFAICT, it is not exposed as a search field.

Comments

  • Dave Hooton
    Dave Hooton MVP Posts: 36,339

    Correct, unless the text is tagged as Bible you cannot search exclusively within that text e.g. NASB text in Bible Lessons International series or author's own in Wuest's Word Studies. If it was tagged you could only use Basic Search; the ability to search by passage/book would not be available.

    But what is your interest and how did you intend to search?

    Dave
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  • Mark Barnes
    Mark Barnes Member Posts: 15,432 ✭✭✭

    It's possible in a very small number of commentaries that have the translation as a separate mini-resource — particularly some ICC commentaries and one or two NIGTC commentaries. It would be a useful field in all commentaries, certainly. AFAIK the only commentary that supports a 'translation' field is Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament.

    This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!

  • Allen Browne
    Allen Browne Member Posts: 1,897 ✭✭✭

    Thanks Dave and Mark.

    The immediate trigger for the question was receiving Tom Wright's For Everyone commentary series today. As you may be away, this has recently been made into a translation in its own right. It would have been good if it was tagged in the commentary.

    (Of course, many other commentaries have translations also, such  as WBC.)

    Replies appreciated.

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 55,539

    Allen Browne said:

    In many commentaries, the commentator includes their own translation of the Biblical text.
    Is it possible to search that text?

    AFAICT, it is not exposed as a search field.

    That would be really cool - I'd love to be able to use commentary translations in the compare versions tool. It should be a request on uservoice ... I'll vote for it when some votes free up.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

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