HermeneuticsLesson IIFundamental

Requirement: A Good Translation

Textual Questions:

“Is this what David wrote? Is this what Paul wrote? Is this

part of the original text?”This may seem like a simple

task, but it is difficult because:1. the original mss. no

longer exist, and2. of the 5-6k mss. of the NT

(from the 2nd century to medieval times), no two are

identical.

Let’s Illustrate - John 3:16

Once a copyist error creeps into a mss., each successive generation of mss. will

be infected with the same error.

To deal with these problems, the translator relies on the science of

textual criticism, wherein two kinds of evidence are considered in

making textual choices.

1. External Evidence: the age and quality of mss. Generally, the older the mss, the better it is

considered to be.2. Internal Evidence: noting the

tendencies and habits of copyists and authors.

Tipes of errors fownd in tekts

-“Homeoteleuton:” skipping a line because endings are the same.

-“Transposition:” letters transposed.

-Copyists liturgical refrains make it into the text.

-Misunderstanding oral transmission.

-Harmonization of related texts.

-Misspelling or misreading words.

Linguistic Questions: What is our translation philosophy, and what

are the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches?

As much as possible, a translation should remain true to the original author’s wording, text, and thoughts, and remain free from theological bias. These are our biggest concerns with a translation, since we want to know as much as is possible the intended meaning of the author.

Translation Philosophies

Literal Translation: The scholar seeks to translate word for word as much as possible, seeking to find an English equivalent for every word in the original text.

Dynamic Equivalency: Translators seek to convey a sense for sense meaning where appropriate to do so. Matters of language, style, and grammar are at times altered for the modern reader. Free Translations are often little more than paraphrases (and of course some are paraphrases). Here ideas are conveyed sometimes through a radical change of words.