Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk" <peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com>]

Euphemisms for "kiss" are common in modern English Bible translations. At
Psalm 2:12 NLT has "submit", NET has "give sincere homage" (taking BAR as
"sincere"), CEV has "show respect", NCV has "show that you are loyal". I
don't think any of these are intended to reflect an emended Hebrew text. The
unkind explanation would be censorship. The kind one would be that this is
justifiable as a substitution of the significance for the form, in place of
the form with a misleading significance.

In Romans 16:16 (literally "Greet one another with a holy kiss") CEV and NLT
similarly gives the significance without the form, with "give each other a
warm greeting" and "Greet each other in Christian love"; but other more
paraphrasing translators go even further, using cultural substitutes: JB
Phillips "Give each other a hearty handshake all round" and The Message
"Holy embraces all around!". NLT avoids actual substitution, but

Apparently some modern translators consider commands to kiss inappropriate
for modern contexts and so censor them out of modern translations. Why
couldn't the LXX translators have done something similar, maybe out of fear
of immorality in the synagogue?

Peter Kirk
peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com
http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:b-hebrew-
> bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of c stirling bartholomew
> Sent: 28 May 2003 19:15
> To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] ur-textual possibilities between MT and LXX onPsa.
> 2:12
> 
> Hi Peter,
> 
> on 5/27/03 2:00 PM, Peter Kirk wrote:
> 
> > I wonder is DRAXASQE here must be based on emended Hebrew. Can it mean
> > something like "embrace"? If so, it might be a euphemism for "kiss".
> 
> Don't think this will fly. Looked up DRASSOMAI in all the lexicons
> (Cunliffe, LSJ, Danker, L&N, LEH, Lampe). When it is used in reference to
> persons it typically has negative and sometimes violent overtones (e.g.,
> grab by the throat). When used in reference to objects it means to clutch
> or
> grasp.
> 
> Why would an LXX translator need "a euphemism for kiss" anyway? Queen
> Victoria would not have needed a euphemism for kiss.
> 
> cheers, Clay
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
> Three Tree Point
> P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062
>