Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lisbeth S. Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ken Smith [mailto:kens AT 180solutions.com]
> Sent: Sat, March 16, 2002 2:30 PM
> To: Biblical Hebrew
> Subject: RE: Question: Off topic? More
> 
> 
> 
> > > So it isn't on the 
> > > grounds of 
> > > mere theological prejudice, but as the result of an informed and 
> > > critical reading of the Christian tradition, that I have no 
> > > objection 
> > > to the NIV's choice of "virgin" in that passage. After all, 
> > > the NIV is 
> > > trying to translate the Christian canon, and not the Jewish.
> > > 
> > > Does that make sense?
> >
> > No.
> > 
> > Liz Fried
> 
> Now, Liz, you're starting to sound like some other members of this forum
> :-).  Surely you have a more articulate response than that in your
> repertoire!
> 
> I suppose it's possible that you just didn't understand what I was
> saying -- but since I'm pretty much just parroting what the folks behind
> "canon criticism" (however that's to be understood) have been saying for
> the last 20 or 30 years, and I don't think I was entirely unclear in my
> explanation, do I presume that your problem is with the larger field of
> canon criticism?  Or with my particular application of it?  Or . . . ?
> 
> Still taking the bait,
> 
> Ken Smith
Dear Ken, 
With these last remarks you seem to be confusing canon criticism
and eisegesis. Canon criticism is the very laudable study of how the
bible has been interpreted by faith communities through the millenia.
Those who engage in this study do *not* advocate mistranslating the
text to further the theologies of those faith communities. 
Eisegesis is reading *into* the text, what
you think should be there as a result of your theologies.
Exegesis -- what the translator should be engaged in -- is bringing
out of the text what is actually there. Now, ISTM, that if the translator
knows that the word is *really* "young woman" and he translates it
"virgin" on purpose to encourage a particular theological understanding,
then, it seems to me that he is lying to his readers for the sake of
that theology. The theology, then, requires lies to bolster it, whereas  
it is the truth that sets free.
Best,
Liz
> 
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to b-hebrew as: [lizfried AT umich.edu]
> To unsubscribe, forward this message to 
> $subst('Email.Unsub')
> To subscribe, send an email to join-b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu.