Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 06/02/2006 07:35, Rolf Furuli wrote:
> ... But the NWT translators 
> have not made choices on the part of the readers in connection with (LM, but 
> have made a consistent translation giving the readers the opportunity to do 
> the interpretation and decide whether the time reference is unending or not.
>   

No, Rolf, they have made choices. Firstly, they have chosen to render 
the term consistently in the same way. OK, this is the general 
translation principle of NWT, but it is not one which is held to without 
exception (e.g. KURIOS in the New Testament), and so it is a choice of 
the translators not to make an exception here. Secondly, they have 
chosen as a consistent rendering "indefinitely lasting" rather than an 
alternative such as "eternal", or "long-lasting", or "age-long". This is 
a translation choice, and, whether it is theologically motivated or not, 
it is one which necessarily predisposes readers to understand the 
passages in one way rather than another, with significant consequences 
for their theology.

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