The Bible Translator: Volume 16, Issue 4

Kai egeneto appears sixty-five times in the New Testament, ninety per cent of which are in Lucan writings, with the remaining in Matthew and Mark. There is no theological necessity for translating kai egeneto literally. Luke considered the egeneto-phrase as a specimen of the peculiar Greek found in the Septuagint. Whether a literal rendering is required does not depend on the source language but upon the receptor language. An appendix follows which discusses the syntactic structure of the phrase in the New Testament. Three elements are found: the introductory verb; an indication of time or circumstance; and the connecting clause. View Less

A consideration of the respective differences of style and communicative effectiveness of the Phillips translation on the NEB. The NEB is superior to the RSV. The language of the Phillips NT is considerably superior to the NEB, although Phillips has some idiosyncrasies of translation which make it unacceptable for the whole English speaking church. It is the best of secondary translations. The NEB, if given more polishing and a little consideration to American ears, could be the Bible of the next English speaking generations. View Less

A consideration of Psalm 23:3f to illustrate the problem of translating the flexibility and meaning of the construct state, vocabulary, and tense. Older translations considered the religious content and produced a rich allegory; another style heeds consistency of metaphor and appeals to the modern ear. The picture of the Psalm becomes clearer if the “I” can be identified. Is it Israel personified? Is it some private individual relating the covenant to himself? Is it the Davidic king? The author favors the third alternative and takes the Psalm as a testimony from royal prayers. The covenant-work of God is the key. The thread of metaphor may be maintained, but priority should be placed on the rich theological statements of the Hebrew. View Less

The way words, symbols and actions are used and interpreted concern everyone including each one of us in our every day life. Trying to get meaning is basic to the whole process of Bible translation. We have to understand both the meaning of the original text and express the equivalent in the receptor language. Grammatical differences between the two tongues must be overcome as well as differences of historical, geographical and cultural contexts. Semantics is relevant to theology just as theology is relevant to semantics. View Less

An examination of some of the Western texts which are favored in the NEB as over against Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. Of the 26 Western readings adopted in the NEB, only 6 can be said to be supported by a majority of the standard Greek texts. The NEB will prove unsatisfactory in these cases. The decision was made based on internal considerations rather than external support, whereas both should be used. It is necessary that a system of checks and balances be required in textual criticism between internal and external support. View Less

Translating Genesis into Bari proved of great interest since so many instances of famine, migration, betrothal, marriage, etc. spoke to the life and environment of the Bari people. Because some of the Hebrew ways of expression were similar to the Bari idiom, both may share the same primitive background. View Less

An evaluation and criticism of some of the present day theories of textual criticism. Included are those of Streeter, Metzger, Aland, Casey, and Tasker. View Less

The reactions to the translation and revision of the Gospel of Mark in Guhu-Samane. When the form of the literal was changed to convey the intended message the people reacted with anything from relief and comprehension to pleasure. A number of examples are given which show the indigenous reaction in preparing a meaningful and idiomatic translation. View Less