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b-hebrew - Re[2]: Bible translation, b-h dig.: March 20, 1999

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  • From: peter_kirk AT SIL.ORG
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re[2]: Bible translation, b-h dig.: March 20, 1999
  • Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 11:51:40 -0500


Dear Rolf,

Well, suppose we accept that Hebrew words e.g. NEPE$, B:KOWR are
"semantic signal[s] of a particular concept in the minds of people
speaking the same language and having the same presupposition pool."
That does not mean that they correspond closely, or even at all, with
the semantic signals for an English speaker corresponding to supposed
equivalents like "soul" and "firstborn". In the some cases they may,
in others (e.g. NEPE$ and "soul") they clearly do not. So this idea is
of little help for the translation task.

For your very small target group of scholars "who by help of their
mother tongue, want to come as close as possible to the original
languages" there are excellent (or arguably so ??) tools available in
English and other major languages of scholarship, known as
interlinears. But 99.9% of readers who do not know Hebrew do not want
to have to learn enough Hebrew to understand all its confusing idioms
before understanding the Bible.

As for prwtotokos, if this off-theme thread is to continue let me have
my say. The NT usage includes the literal meaning "first-born" in Luke
2:7 (though there it no doubt has symbolic meaning too) and Hebrews
11:28, but elsewhere it is not literal. Jesus is literally the
prwtotokos of Mary (auths), but elsewhere, it seems to me, prwtotokos
is used of Jesus in the context of the Resurrection - as clearly in
Col. 1:18 and Rev 1:5. I would suggest reading Col 1:16-20 as the
explanation in reverse order of verse 15: first creation is expounded
(vv.16-17) and then prwtotokos (v.18), then "image of the invisible
God" (vv.19-20). Jesus' resurrection before all others confirms his
right as the first-born. The meaning "first to be created" is foreign
to the NT use of prwtotokos as well as being clearly contradicted by
the following verse.

Peter Kirk





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