Translation pet peeve

I am absolutely annoyed to no end when Bible translators use the word LORD to translate the tetragrammaton. I fully understand why they do it. I just don't like it. It seems overly impersonal for the name of God.

Exodus 8:30 ESV: So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.

Exodus 8:30 NASB: So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the Lord.

Thank you Lexham English Bible!

Exodus 8:30 LEB: And Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to Yahweh.

Does anyone else have any translation pet peeves?

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Lee

Here's one of mine.

God SO loved the world THAT .... in various versions.

Room4more

Not so much a translation as it is human mis-concption FROM the translation[one of many]:

Lucifer IS NOT another name for satan. Just start at the beginning and not in the middle.......

Paul Golder

Messiah instead of Christ, specifically when the translator's notes say something like: "This is the word we should really use..."

DMB

One of the features of my Bible software is the ability to re-write the text. You select one version you like, it makes a copy of that Bible renaming it, and then you can edit the text as needed for issues like these. In my case, I like a literal translation, YLT being decent. But YLT somehow goes crazy periodically as to exactly where he got a choice.

The issue Josh introduces was one of the root differences between the 2nd Temple Judaism and the early Christians who consciously reversed the view of God (coincidentally going back to the Canaanite patterns).

George Somsel

The problem can be solved by reading the OT in Hebrew/Aramaic and the NT in Greek. The translation is perfect !! [;)]

Josh

Here's one of mine.

God SO loved the world THAT .... in various versions.

I know! However, this is not the translators fault - this is the publisher unwilling to sell a product with everyone's favorite verse changed. I'm happy the NET went against the grain and translated it "For this is the way God loved the world..."

Justin Cofer

The problem can be solved by reading the OT in Hebrew/Aramaic and the NT in Greek. The translation is perfect !!

ναι [Y]

David Ames

The problem can be solved by reading the OT in Hebrew/Aramaic and the NT in Greek. The translation is perfect !!

If you are going to read the Alexandrian text of the NT don't you also want to read the Alexandrian text of the OT? So just also use the Greek OT text and stay consistent. After all if the Alexandrians were right in 300 ad does it not also stand to reason that they were right in 300 bc? [[The 300 bc Alexandrian OT text no longer exists in Hebrew except for samples found with the Dead Sea Scrolls so it needs to be read in its translation - the LXX Greek]]

[There are three NT Greeks - which is perfect? There are 2 OT texts - one of which was translated into the Greek and is not available in Hebrew - which is perfect?]

[[its a trick question]] [[[Still looking for better textbooks - the Andrews set did not help my prior question]]]

David Paul

Thank you Lexham English Bible!

Exodus 8:30 LEB: And Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to Yahweh.

Does anyone else have any translation pet peeves?

A couple...

It chafes me when the waaw is used in Yahweh, but a vaav is used in all other Hebrew words. Why? A little consistency, please. (Waaw is Biblical.)

It chafes me when people use Yahweh, because it's not correct. It's Y'hohwaah, but since few will agree, people should just use YHWH (as I do [A] ) and pronounce as they prefer.

David Paul

After all if the Alexandrians were right in 300 ad does it not also stand to reason that they were right in 300 bc?

Uh...NO.

Why would you expect consistency in understanding (based on location) for individuals separated by a distance of 600 years?

George Somsel

It chafes me when the waaw is used in Yahweh, but a vaav is used in all other Hebrew words. Why? A little consistency, please. (Waaw is Biblical.)

It chafes me when people use Yahweh, because it's not correct. It's Y'hohwaah, but since few will agree, people should just use YHWH (as I do ) and pronounce as they prefer.

Wow! Only one he. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Room4more

ok, so who has finished reading the book 'satan' logos edition l.s. chafer?

David Paul

I know my use of "aa" for the Hebrew long "a" bugs you, George, but I use it for a very simple, logical reason. The reason the qaamaats is a long "a" and patthahh is a short "a" is because the qaamaats is pronounced LONGER than patthahh.

George Somsel

ok, so who has finished reading the book 'satan' logos edition l.s. chafer?

Not I, said the cat. I haven't even downloaded it.

George Somsel

I know my use of "aa" for the Hebrew long "a" bugs you, George, but I use it for a very simple, logical reason. The reason the qaamaats is a long "a" and patthahh is a short "a" is because the qaamaats is pronounced LONGER than patthahh.

Yes? Well, you are about the only one to do so. Besides, sometimes (in closed unaccented syllables) it isn't even a long "a" but more like a short "o."

Jacob Hantla

I am absolutely annoyed to no end when Bible translators use the word LORD to translate the tetragrammaton. I fully understand why they do it. I just don't like it. It seems overly impersonal for the name of God.

I choose to make visual filters for my translational peeves like this. This way all your translations can say what you want them to..or at least highlight original language words in ways that are helpful to you. You can see my YHWH filter here: http://community.logos.com/forums/t/16999.aspx

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

I am absolutely annoyed to no end when Bible translators use the word LORD to translate the tetragrammaton. I fully understand why they do it. I just don't like it. It seems overly impersonal for the name of God.

I choose to make visual filters for my translational peeves like this. This way all your translations can say what you want them to..or at least highlight original language words in ways that are helpful to you. You can see my YHWH filter here: http://community.logos.com/forums/t/16999.aspx

Another option is inserting tetragrammaton along with highlighting some nearby words:

Members of Faithlife group Logos Visual Filters => https://faithlife.com/logos-visual-filters can use https://documents.logos.com to copy Highlighting palette then Visual Filter.

Keep Smiling [:)]

Bruce Dunning

I am absolutely annoyed to no end when Bible translators use the word LORD to translate the tetragrammaton. I fully understand why they do it. I just don't like it. It seems overly impersonal for the name of God.

Does anyone else have any translation pet peeves?

I'm not sure how LORD became the normal way to translate this but I agree with you.

Paul Golder

I'm not sure how LORD became the normal way to translate this but I agree with you.

The Septuagint typically translates
YHWH as κύριος or "Lord". Most English translations use
"LORD" which serves as a mnemonic device for YHWH, since
they both have four letters.

Bruce Dunning

I get bothered when translators choose to use gender-neutral language instead of the original gender. I know why they do this (trying to translate what they believe the meaning is) but I don't like it.

This is why I don't like the TNIV and the NIV 2010. Actually that is a whole other conversation. I also really disliked how they eliminated the NIV84 and how they call the NIV 2010 just NIV. Did this bother anyone else?

DMB

Well, I for one, bought the NIV84 simply because it didn't have that awful gender-neutral language. Frankly I can't stand the NIV, but the purchase was well worth it. I'm keeping it out of my Libronix for the time being though.

George Somsel

I am absolutely annoyed to no end when Bible translators use the word LORD to translate the tetragrammaton. I fully understand why they do it. I just don't like it. It seems overly impersonal for the name of God.

Does anyone else have any translation pet peeves?

I'm not sure how LORD became the normal way to translate this but I agree with you.

That's fairly simple. If you remember, people used to use Jehovah as the name of God. That is because the Jews did not pronounce הַשם (the Name) so they used אַדֹנַי (Lord) instead. Jehovah is הַשֵׁם with the vowels from אַדֹנַי which were used as the pointing to remind the reader to say אַדֹנַי rather than Yahweh.

George Somsel

I get bothered when translators choose to use gender-neutral language instead of the original gender. I know why they do this (trying to translate what they believe the meaning is) but I don't like it.

This is why I don't like the TNIV and the NIV 2010. Actually that is a whole other conversation. I also really disliked how they eliminated the NIV84 and how they call the NIV 2010 just NIV. Did this bother anyone else?

The NRSV accomplishes this by translating the word ἀδελφοι by "brothers and sisters" rather than simply "brothers." As I said, people today are stupid when it comes to their own language (OK, I said "ignorant").

Bruce Dunning

I am absolutely annoyed to no end when Bible translators use the word LORD to translate the tetragrammaton. I fully understand why they do it. I just don't like it. It seems overly impersonal for the name of God.

Does anyone else have any translation pet peeves?

I'm not sure how LORD became the normal way to translate this but I agree with you.

That's fairly simple. If you remember, people used to use Jehovah as the name of God. That is because the Jews did not pronounce הַשם (the Name) so they used אַדֹנַי (Lord) instead. Jehovah is הַשֵׁם with the vowels from אַדֹנַי which were used as the pointing to remind the reader to say אַדֹנַי rather than Yahweh.

You misunderstood me. Perhaps I was not clear enough. I understand why the Jews didn't pronounce the name of God. I just don't know why translator's chose LORD other than that was the word that the LXX translators use.

Paul Golder

I understand why the Jews didn't pronounce the name of God. I just don't know why translator's chose LORD other than that was the word that the LXX translators use.

Because אַדֹנַי (Adonai) is commonly translated "Lord"

EDIT: Which stems form Jewish Hebrew to Greek translation tradition in the last centuries BC.

George Somsel

You misunderstood me. Perhaps I was not clear enough. I understand why the Jews didn't pronounce the name of God. I just don't know why translator's chose LORD other than that was the word that the LXX translators use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRdfX7ut8gw

Josh

I get bothered when translators choose to use gender-neutral language instead of the original gender. I know why they do this (trying to translate what they believe the meaning is) but I don't like it.

This is why I don't like the TNIV and the NIV 2010. Actually that is a whole other conversation. I also really disliked how they eliminated the NIV84 and how they call the NIV 2010 just NIV. Did this bother anyone else?

Yes, I agree with you. Gender-neutral language is not my cup of tea. It can change the authors literary intent at times. For example, in Luke 15, Luke wants to set up a contrast between a man and a women in his two parables. The parable of the lost sheep starts with "What man of you..." (Luke 15:4) and the parable of the lost coin starts with "Or what woman..." (Luke 15:8). At least that is how the ESV has it.

Most new translations ruin this with gender neutral language.

NIV: "Suppose one of you..." "Or suppose a woman..."

NRSV: "Which one of you..." "Or what woman"

[:^)]