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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] NIV v' NWT translation policy

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
  • To: Robert Newman <rob AT designceramics.co.uk>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] NIV v' NWT translation policy
  • Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 00:43:28 +0000

On 17/11/2005 23:58, Robert Newman wrote:

... Your comment as respects "soul" for nephesh surprises me. Afterall the bias in this case is
toward the source language. Ask someone very familiar with NWT what "soul" means and they will
likely describe the range of meaning of nephesh. Ask a general Bible reader and they will likely give the
principle English definition, they are only familiar with Bible texts where translators have judged it be
the intended meaning. Is "soul" a bad English equivalent to nephesh? ...


Well, Rob, I am not sure which part of Essex you are from, but in my part, Chelmsford, if you ask an ordinary person what "soul" means their understanding wouldn't be anything like the biblical concept or concepts of nephesh. If they didn't think of a type of music, they would probably think of the part of the human which survives death - which is definitely NOT a sense of Hebrew nephesh. And probably a "general Bible reader" here would have little better idea of the meaning of "soul", depending of course on what version they read.

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





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