The Bible Translator: Volume 35, Issue 3

Due to recent discoveries of ancient manuscripts, four schools of textual criticism have emerged: Jerusalem (cautious conservatism); Edinburgh (semantic transmission); Baltimore (conservative emanation); and Rome (innovative philosophy). A fifth school, Göttingen (conjectural emanation) should have no place when referring to autographa. View Less

Formal (not thematic) structures divide Ruth into four episodes with three sections each. Failure to correctly delimit sections of a text may distort meaning. View Less

Gospel writers used signs to indicate times, places, audience reactions to Jesus, especially when referring to the resurrected Christ. They used symbols to communicate the mystery of incarnation. Jesus used OT symbols in new ways to challenge. The evangelists desired symbols referring to God to be applied to Jesus also. View Less

Greek mikros can refer to time, space, size, age or social position. Suggested translations: Matt 18:1–14, “such a young follower;” 21:15f and 10:40–42, “younger disciples.” View Less

Context, grammar and theological patterns show the seed” in Gal 3:16, 19 refers to Jesus Christ alone. View Less

Native translators reflected on biblical passages on language, compared human vs. animal communication, distinguished message vs. medium, and noted four main semantic categories (object, event, abstract, relation). View Less

Structural features carry meaning in a discourse. Proposed “help” should include a working translation of formal equivalence type; analyses of the entire text and individual pericopes; discussion of key expressions; and summary of main issues affecting translation. Example: Gal 2:1–10. View Less