The Word: On the Translation of the Bible

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Even in the most practical sense it guides readers in finding the translation that best fits the specifics of their beliefs. For instance, he suggests Christian Bibles should use the LXX, not the Hebrew, as the OT basis, since it's a better fit with the apostles (269). We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Barton] has a good eye for the sort of detail that carries readers with him into what might be unfamiliar territory.

Should they be rendered by a single English word, or by different ones reflecting the different semantic domains of the source languages' vocabulary? The most enlightening thing about 'The Word' was understanding the 'litero-theosophy' of the translation of the Bible. Whilst Barton clearly has reverence for some translations over others, such as the NKJV and the RSV (over something like the NRJB or the NIV), he continuously (and rather laboriously at some points) makes sure to apply his critical scalpel in a most accessible and scholarly way. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH).Furthermore, in some of the books it shares with the Hebrew Bible, it contains additional, older material. Problems arise when interpreters try to impose orthodox religious beliefs on its text: “The extreme diversity of the material in the Bible is not to be reduced by extracting essential principles, but embraced as a celebration of variety. A few of the contentious terms are “soul”, “salvation”, “faith”, for example, and as expounded on from pulpits in now empty churches up and down the land, they do not have a direct equivalent in the Hebrew text, and in effect, are mistranslations. In The Word , acclaimed Bible scholar John Barton explores how saints and scholars have negotiated the profound challenges of translating the Bible while remaining faithful to the original. My whole career has been in Oxford, where I studied Theology at Keble College and completed a doctorate in Old Testament studies.

We honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' continuous connection to Country, waters, skies and communities.He is the author of numerous books on the Bible, co-editor of The Oxford Bible Commentary and editor of The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation. Unlike some scholars, he gives fair weight to translations that “take the text to the reader” by finding ways to express in a target language what might otherwise remain meaningless, or even misleading (like the words “alien” and “talent” in the New Revised Standard Version).

He's British, and so he's usually comparing the literalism of the KJV with the expansiveness of a NEB or with the political correctness of the NRSV.

In drawing attention to apparent inconsistencies in translation, the author highlights where they can change perceptions of the text’s original meaning, or where existing doctrine may have influenced the translator. What is clear from his analysis, is that one ought to read different translations as it brings different aspects of the underlying Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek to the fore. And it forcefully makes the point that it may be unwise to rely on the same translator(s) for both the Old and New Testaments. If the tablets of stone of the decalogue seem to crumble at the edges when the Bible is subjected to historical analysis, then Barton’s readers might wonder how religious faith can coexist with a Bible that is regarded as an internally contradictory text with a long history and diverse cultural origins. This really did illuminate things for me when it came to the Bible (and somewhat shocked me as to my woeful knowledge of the Old Testament); I would highyl recommend it even for someone who is looking at linguistics, just to view translation philosophy more than anything else.

Growing up in the Institute of Basic Life Principles community, which she came to realize was “a cult, thriving on a culture of fear and manipulation,” Duggar and her 18 siblings were raised never to question parental authority. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers.Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. An efficient and organised person is required to assist the Secretary of the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches in providing advice to the diocese and parishes on church buildings and their contents and to administer the inspection scheme for churches within the Diocese of Chester. What is so crucial about this book is that it is not written in an excoriating style that seeks to define the 'perfect' translation (as Barton himself says), but rather than take a telescopic view of the enormous platter of translations meted out over 100s of years. This book is not in any way a polemic – no fits of pique about why the King James version is the “proper” Bible. A translator friend once grumped to me that parts of the novel he was translating were deliberately badly written, and he had to decide how to render that in an un-gauche fashion.