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?
Comments
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).
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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..."
The problem can be solved by reading the OT in Hebrew/Aramaic and the NT in Greek. The translation is perfect !!
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?
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"The Unbelievable Work...believe it or not." Little children...Biblical prophecy is not Christianity's friend.
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.
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"The Unbelievable Work...believe it or not." Little children...Biblical prophecy is not Christianity's friend.
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
george
gfsomsel
יְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
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.
ASUS ProArt x570s Creator, AMD R9 5950x, HyperX 64gb 3600 RAM, ASUS Strix RTX 2080 ti
"The Unbelievable Work...believe it or not." Little children...Biblical prophecy is not Christianity's friend.
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."
george
gfsomsel
יְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
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
Jacob Hantla
Pastor/Elder, Grace Bible Church
gbcaz.org
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 [:)]
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.
Using adventure and community to challenge young people to continually say "yes" to God
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.
"As any translator will attest, a literal translation is no translation at all."
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?
Using adventure and community to challenge young people to continually say "yes" to God
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.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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").
george
gfsomsel
יְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
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"
[:^)]
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
gfsomsel
יְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
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.
Using adventure and community to challenge young people to continually say "yes" to God
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.
"As any translator will attest, a literal translation is no translation at all."
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.
george
gfsomsel
יְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
Here's one of mine.
God SO loved the world THAT .... in various versions.