Biblical Hebrew Forum

[furuli AT online.no]

Dear Walter,

Any Bible translation is colored by the theology and philosophy of 
the translators. Research (and other work) without presuppositions is 
impossible (Rudolph Bultmann), but one should always stick to basic 
linguistic and translational rules.  Thus, translators should strive 
to refrain from making choices on the part of the readers whenever 
possible. In other words, a good translation is one where the readers 
can make informed choices as to the meaning of a text; a bad one is 
when a particular theology is forced upon the readers.

Liz is correct. The OT should not be "christinized"! A primary reason 
why Bible translations from the days of Luther and  up to the present 
have used "the Lord" rather than a transcription of YHWH, is 
Christian doctrine. This has been explicitly expressed at different 
congresses of Bible translators where this question has been 
discussed. If there are two proper names, YHWH and Jesus, it is 
implied that there are two different individuals as well. While there 
is no problem for the central Christian doctrine about God of dealing 
with two different "persons", two different *individuals* collides 
head on with that doctrine. Therefore it is not desirable to have two 
different proper names. However, if the appellative "the Lord" is 
used both for YHWH and for Jesus, there is no problem of two 
different individuals. Interestingly, the reason why "the Lord" is 
chosen, is to open for a double reference, the very opposite of what 
the translational rule demands: A proper name should be transcribed, 
in order to maintain the reference to the one person bearing the name.


Best regards

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo


> Liz wrote:
>
> "Translators should put in YHWH, IMO
> because otherwise CHristian readers tend to think
> it's Jesus the text is talking about !"
>
> Liz,
>
> I am "confused" by the logic of your statement. Surely you are aware that
> Christians understand that it was Christ who made the world in 6 days and
> rested on the 7th day, and that it was Christ who appeared to Moses at Mount
> Sinai giving the Law to Israel ? So, why would it make any difference
> whether a word is translated  YHWH or not for Christian interpreters of the
> Old Testament ?
>
> Regards, Walter
> Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld, M.A. Ed.
> www.bibleorigins.net