From: AgapeLove9@aol.com
Date: Tue Jul 07 1998 - 00:53:02 EDT
Carl Conrad recently posted that this is undoubtedly a reference to Genesis
1:1, and perhaps this is true. Consider the following "Translation Note" on
John 1:1 in the 21st Century New Testament - The Literal/ Free Dual
Translation, Insight Press, Bristol, 1998. The * in the text marks a
translation note where he explains his reasons for an unorthodox translation.
The literal translation is "In a beginning" at John 1:1. He explains...
beginning - There were many beginnings: the begetting of the Logos; the
creation of the angelic hosts; the creation of the Universe; the preparation
of the earth for man; the creation of life on earthl and the creation of man.
So which beginning is here meant? As the Logos was used in the creation of
'all things' this seems to be the starting point referred to by John, -the
beginning of all creation. Hence it is so specified at John 1:1 in the Free
translation.
god - long comment on the title God/god and Colwell's rule and divine/godlike
and the title god applying to others who are not Almighty God (John 10:33-36).
He concludes: "Whatever his creed or belief, a translator of God's Word must
render the text as accurately as possible according to the text itself, its
grammatical structure, and the context. Hence the given rendering of John
1:1."
Marshal - long comment but essentially refers to one who marshalls resources.
In this case, 'the one who marshalls all the resources that the Father had
placed at his disposal.'
Here are the translations --
Literal Translation - In a beginning* was the [Marshal*] [Word] and the
[Marshal]* [Word] was with the God and the [Marshal]* [Word] was a god*.
Free Translation - At the beginning of Creation, there dwelt with God a mighty
spirit, the Marshal, who produced all things in their order.
Mark Johnson
>
>Subject: John 1:1 EN ARCH
>From: "presept" <presept@earthlink.net>
>Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2098 17:46:57 -0700
>X-Message-Number: 27
>
>Hello, I am brand new to b-greek. Before I joined, I went through your
>archives and read a lot of the posts. I really enjoyed it and it was very
>humbling. I will learn much! This is my first contribution. In one of
>the threads on John 1:1, the discussion was on the object (ARCH) of the
>preposition EN. The question was: because ARCH is anarthrous, should it be
>translated 'a beginning' or 'the beginning?' IMHO it should be 'in the
>beginning.' A.T. Robertson in his large grammer on page 791 states that
>prepositional phrases are often definite without the article. Blass,
>Debrunner, and Funk on page 133 states, "The article can be omitted in
>prepositional phrases..." M. Zerwick on page 58 states, "...in Hellenistic
>Greek, there is an even stronger tendency to omit the article in
>prepositioal phrases." You may also check R.A.Young's grammer on page 67,
>Nigel Turner's grammer on page 179, Moule's Idioms on page 114, Porter's
>Idioms on page 113, and D.B.Wallace's grammer on page 247.
>
>-James Stewart
>
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