> > There may be someone lurking on the net who has, perhaps, > spent 10 years analysing say Romans, and while un-recognised, > is capable of producing the most eloquent translation yet > attempted. If the skills of the whole world of bible > study could be brought to bear on this problem, you just > don't know how good it can get. If anyone ever attempts it, > then we shall find out. > > Let me illustrate why translation by itself is not enough. Read that Mark Nanos book if you get a chance. His analyisis is excellent, even if his faith does not agree with Paul's conclusions.
Too many people go roamin in Romans for ever without understanding it well. You still have not said who the audience is. I am not going to please many Catholic friends if I take the translation that pleases me most, the Orthodox Jewish Brit Chadasha, and Jewish Press OT as the basis. I problably wont please many of you either. I wory about names for instance. John's real name was Yochanan. John isnt Jewish. Paul is known in Messianic circles by his Jewish name, Rabbi Shaul, although Paul is also legitemate. Likewise you probably know that Jesus is a modern translation of Yeshua, and James is the name of an English king who commissioned a translation. Ya'akov doesnt even sound like James. Since my mission, my audience, is Jewish, it matters that Geneisis get's it's proper name back too. I can put Greek names like Genesis in brackets after B'resheet, the transliteration of the proper name, but if I dont include the Hebrew name it will sound to Jews like I have accepted the heathen names, and I am no more Jewish than a Crusader. I dont like that fact, but I will have to deal with it in my translation efforts. I can only leave the offense of the gospel itself in the path of my bretheren as a stumbling block. All else must be removed. And since, as Paul said, the Gospel is first for the Jew, and then for the Greek, translation must also accept that same priority. Jewish sensibilites are more important than any other cultural or traditional perspectives for any translation. Perhaps I infuriated you just now. The offense if any, was meant only to let you see that objectivity is hard to come by. God may have other adjendas with you on that one, but I leave them to Him. I dont expect to be popular for this view. Then there is a whole world of background information, ideas, concepts, and so on that translation by itself cant touch. One of the simplest examples in scripture that is often repeated in Messianic circles is the woman with an issue of blood. Scripture says she touched the Fringe of His garment. Notice I capitalize Fringe, it is special and has special significance that no Jew modern or ancient with even a little religious tranning will miss. Christians have no clue. The Fringe refered to is the Tzit Tzit. It is the fringe that God commanded all Israel to wear as a sign for all generations. Today only Orthodox Jews have kept this commandment, and even then they have not kept it entirely since they do not use the blue thread. I will test you a little, what prophesy is this all related to? Any idea? I will save you some effort, word searches on fringe wont get you there, although you might learn a bit from it. I will share the answer tomorow if no one comes through with it. Michael
