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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Definite Article 7:14

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  • From: JoeWallack AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Definite Article 7:14
  • Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:37:55 EDT

In a message dated 7/9/2007 5:13:14 AM Central Daylight Time, peter AT qaya.org
writes:

On 08/07/2007 22:03, JoeWallack AT aol.com wrote:
>
> ...
>
> You are also proof-texting as you haven't even considered the full context

> of 7:14 here. ...

No, Joseph, I have considered the context, which is well known to me.
Just because I don't take time to explain everything in a short post
here, that doesn't mean that I am ignoring the context.

No, Peter, you did proof-text in what I was responding to:

"Seriously, and if we are talking translation rather than exegesis, it
doesn't work in English to translate "the young woman", or "the virgin".
According to English usage of the article, this would imply a young
woman previously identified in the text, and there is no such young
woman, so the sentence is effectively ungrammatical. In English we have
to say "a young woman", or perhaps "this young woman" referring to only
one present at the time although not previously mentioned - which is a
possible understanding of the Hebrew article.

I say this despite many English translations using "the" here."



JW:
> ... If I claimed at this point that the combination of use of the
> Hebrew definite article along with a prophecy to the immediate Hebrew
audience
> forces a translation of "the" ( a position that a relatively high percent
of
> correspondents here probably have) and the proper question than is not
whether
> "the/a" is the proper translation but rather if "a" is even a possible
> translation, you would be likewise unimpressed.
PQ:
I would be unimpressed because your translation (even if it is also that
of most published translations) is bad English, although the original is
good Hebrew, because the definite articles are used in different ways in
Hebrew and English. But let's stop arguing about English and stick to
Hebrew.

JW:
Yes, that is the problem with translations. The Translator is forced to
choose a word that is different than what was written. Regarding English
translations of Hebrew though, no one has yet figured out how to do this
without the
use of English.

It's your suggested translation of "this" which is bad English which is why
no one has used it. I'll explain why when I get to your related post.



Joseph Wallack










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