Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Unexpected Translations

Following are two texts that have unexpected differences between the most most common "standard" English translations and some that are more obscure.  It turns out that the "non standard" translations are closer to the Greek.  The "standard" translation of Mark 11:22 is probably because the translators understand faith as belief rather than faithfulness and could not make sense of "faith of God."  (I have discussed the meaning of pistis (πιστις) extensively in the Faith and Faithfulness series of studies.)  I am not sure why the "prayer of God" in Luke 6:12 was not acceptable to the translators of the "standard" English Bibles.

Mark 11:22 KJV – And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God (πιστιν Θεου – pistin Theou).
  • Apostolic Bible Polyglot – And responding Jesus says to them, Have belief of God!
  • Bible in Basic English – And Jesus, answering, said to them, Have God's faith.
  • Douay-Rheims – And Jesus answering, saith to them: Have the faith of God
  • Young's Literal Translation – And Jesus answering saith to them, 'Have faith of God;
  • Wycliffe – And Jhesus answeride and seide to hem, Haue ye the feith of God;
  • Modern Hebrew – ... ‏אמונת אלהים (emunat Elohim, i.e. emunah of God)
  • Etheridge's English Peshitta translation – And Jeshu answered and said to them, Let there be in you the faith of Aloha
  • Peshitta (Syriac in Hebrew characters) – ... הימנותא דאלהא 

Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God (τη προσευχη του Θεου – te proseuche tou Theou)
  • Apostolic Bible Polyglot – And it came to pass in those days, he went forth into the mountain to pray; and he was spending the night in the prayer of God.
  • Douay-Rheims – And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and he passed the whole night in the prayer of God.
  • Young's Literal Translation – And it came to pass in those days, he went forth to the mountain to pray, and was passing the night in the prayer of God,
  • Wycliffe – And it was don in tho daies, he wente out in to an hil to preye; and he was al nyyt dwellynge in the preier of God.
  • Etheridge's English Peshitta translation – BUT it was in those days that Jeshu went forth into a mountain to pray; and there remained he all night in the prayer of Aloha
  • Peshitta (Syriac in Hebrew characters) – ... בצלותה דאלהא

1 comment:

  1. Romans 3:3 is like Mark 11:22 —
    KJV – faith of God / NKJV – faithfulness of God / NET – faithfulness of God / ASV – faithfulness of God / Wycliffe – feith of God / NIV – God's faithfulness / ESV – faithfulness of God / NASB – faithfulness of God / Bible in Basic English – faith of God / Douay-Rheims – faith of God / Young's Literal Translation – faithfulness of god / Apostolic Bible Polyglot – belief of God

    The Apostolic Bible Polyglot is especially surprising.

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