Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 14/11/2005 17:25, Rolf Furuli wrote:

> ...
>
> A good example is Ecclesiastes 1:4.
> NIV: Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains for ever.
> NWT: A generation is going and a generation is coming; but the earth is
> standing even to time indefinite.
>
> An important question here is: Who is going to decide whether the writer
> implies that the earth may stand a long time and then be destroyed, or
> whether the meaning is that the earth will continue to stand without an end?
> The translator or the reader?  The NIV has decided the case, and the readers
> are deprived the the freedom of interpretation. The NWT translators have 
> left
> the matter open, and the readers can have a part in the translation process.
>  

An uninformed reader can do no better than toss a coin in a case like 
this, if he or she is not to be allowed the insights of the best 
exegetes concerning the meaning of the word. You would do better to give 
the reader a transliteration as this would avoid certain misunderstandings.

> ...
>  
>
> > I am still waiting for any evidence that "eternal" is not a reasonably
> > good translation of `olam, i.e.meaning  that there will be no end to the
> > time period, at least subjectively for the experiencer such that
> > "lifelong" is sometimes more appropriate. Can anyone give me any
> > counter-examples?
> >    
>
> Solomon gave one example in his last post. Another example is "the 
> everlasting priesthood" (ASV; JPS) of Ex 40:15, which was not "everlasting". ...

Well, here you are bringing in certain theological presuppositions. The 
operation of the Levitical priesthood has indeed been interrupted, but 
there are still Levitical priests alive (and whose genuineness can now 
be confirmed by DNA studies), and there are groups, both Jewish and 
Christian, who expect a restoration of the Temple (as in Ezekiel's plan) 
and a restored Levitical priesthood. I don't say that I agree with them, 
only that the matter is not so easily proved. An alternative explanation 
is that it was the divine plan for the Levitical priesthood to be 
eternal but this was broken because of sin and apostasy; and another is 
that the promise is fulfilled in the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ.

> ... Please keep in mind that my premise for claiming that "everlasting" is not a 
> reasonable good translation of  )WLM, is that this does not fit *all* 
> occurrences of the word. In your model, where you feel free to interpret the 
> text in behalf of the readers, and use the rendering "for ever" when you 
> believe that the reference is for ever, there is no problem with this word.
>
>  
But NWT's method has the same problem, for, as you have effectively 
admitted, "soul" is not always a reasonable good translation of NEPE$.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/