The Bible Translator: Volume 70, Issue 1

One element of the task of translation is the need to consider contextual clues in the source text that help to inform choices between alternative possibilities in the target language. I suggest that greater awareness of such contextual clues for two words in 1 Peter would result in better translations than are currently found in two major English Bible versions (NIV2011 and NRSV). Specifically, the context of 1.3–2.3 would suggest that the familial nuance of the word philadelphia should be retained in translation, because this word is part of a section governed by familial imagery. Also, the context of 3.17–4.6 would suggest that the aquatic nuance of the word anachusis should be retained in translation, because this word is part of a section governed by the imagery of the flood. I look into the semantic-pragmatic possibilities for these words, and propose that NRSV and NIV could be improved by changing their translations of these words. Finally, implications for the translations of these words in other English versions and in other languages are discussed. View Less

The publication of the Turkish Common Language translation in 2001 (Kutsal Kitap) helped Protestant Christians in Turkey develop their own unique subdialect of Turkish for discussing religious and theological topics. Consequently, there is now a kind of language barrier between Christians and the average Muslim. I evaluated a variety of written texts and oral discourse produced by Turkish Muslims as well as translations of the Qur’an. With regard to the names and forms of address used for God, I found that usage in Turkish closely correlates with the Arabic of the Qur’an. I also found that dialogue in Christian sermons and texts also closely corresponds with the translation choices made in the 2001 Turkish Bible. I conclude that where subdialects are sufficiently diverse, a different translation for each dialect or social group will be helpful for the society as a whole. View Less

Bible translation presents local-language communities not only with “offers of information” but opportunities to promote the target language through adoption of advances in the fields of translation studies, exegesis, and biblical studies. Drawing on skopos theory, this paper encourages communities to include within their translation brief the explicit goal of taking advantage of such opportunities to the end that translators are freed up to transcend the exegetical and translational choices imposed by a language of wider communication. In so doing, the local language will add additional functions as well as intrinsic and extrinsic value to the target text. Finally, potential objections to such an approach are forestalled by addressing sociolinguistic factors with which translating communities will have to come to terms. View Less

The Septuagint’s reading of verses 29a and 32a in 1 Samuel 2 may appear to provide an explanation of the difficult readings of the Masoretic text, but in fact, the LXX complicates the matter. There is no definite evidence that the LXX is the original and MT its corrupt variant. I propose that MT מעון “in a temple” in v. 29a and מעון צר “enemy of a temple” in v. 32 not only make sense as they stand but also provide a hermeneutical key to understanding the story of the Elides’ degradation, which focuses on their negative role in the temple at Shiloh. View Less

Poetry must be heard, and heard in a way that is pleasing and memorable. Much of the beauty and rhetorical power of poetry arises from prosody, that is, patterns of rhythm and sound. Rhythm is composed of four elements that work together to provide aesthetic and emotive strength. It is an important feature of both biblical and Zulu poetry, and thus the translator of psalms (translating into Zulu or any Bantu language) must pay attention to aural components of the source and receptor texts. A recent empirical study invited Zulu youth to participate in translating and performing three praise psalms. They learned the basics of Bible translation and poetics, including rhythm, and their translations show a sensitivity to Zulu poetry and music that makes them highly rhythmic and singable. The underlying understanding of “translating with rhythm” can be applied to other languages and is an essential element of translating biblical poetry. View Less

Though the principle regarding a preference for the shorter reading is often still included in descriptions of text-critical method, it has fallen out of use. The maxim lectio brevior potior (“prefer the shorter reading”) should not be, and in fact is not, a factor in the modern practice of New Testament textual criticism. This article briefly states reasons for the maxim’s inapplicability and then surveys a large amount of contemporary text-critical and exegetical literature to demonstrate the maxim’s demise. View Less

The phrase τρέχωμεν τὸν . . . ἀγῶνα in Heb 12.1 is almost universally translated into English as “let us run the race.” Despite commentators noting that ἀγών refers to a struggle or contest, the fact that it is governed by τρέχω, typically translated “run,” leads to the conclusion that ἀγών must signify a race. Yet, an analysis of the same phrase in Graeco-Roman literature demonstrates that when τρέχω and ἀγών are combined in a context that lacks athletic imagery, the phrase frequently refers to a struggle, often in the face of death. This observation, combined with closer attention to the context in which the phrase occurs in Hebrews, suggests that τρέχωμεν τὸν . . . ἀγῶνα in Heb 12.1 should be translated as “let us undergo the struggle”—the focus being on the audience’s struggle in the face of death, not on their athletic prowess on the race track. View Less