From: Wayne Leman (wleman@mcn.net)
Date: Fri Oct 13 2000 - 11:25:24 EDT
> I am looking for interesting Greek idioms which can be used to check/test
translations.
> e.g. Acts 7:23 ANEBH EPI THN KARDIAN AUTOU
>
> Best wishes
> Wieland
Wieland:
Following is a study I did on how Greek idioms are translated in different
English versions. There are hundreds of other Greek idioms in the NT (see
Moule and other references), but this is a helpful start. Note that several
of the idioms in the Greek originate in Hebrew (or Aramaic) and then were
preserved literally in Greek. The Greek is not given in this file, but you
can easily find the Greek in your Greek NT:
Idioms in the gospels: translations charted for English versions
(Translation adequacy results for each version are given at the end of this
study.)
Idioms are expressions whose overall meaning is different from the sum of
the meaning of their parts. Idioms usually cannot be literally translated to
another language so that their original idiomatic meaning is understood
accurately in the target language.
Some English idioms are:
It's raining cats and dogs.
You've hit the nail on the head.
That's the way the cookie crumbles.
In the following list + indicates that the version translates a Biblical
idiom in a way that its meaning can be understood by average native English
speakers. - indicates that the original idiom is translated so literally
that its meaning will likely not be understood by average English readers.
(Fieldtesting is necessary to determine this for certain for each passage.)
We are not here evaluating exegetical differences among the versions as to
how an idiom is translated, only whether or not the idiom is translated so
an idiomatic meaning can be understood in English.
In some cases (especially with the HCSB), a version sometimes has a literal
translation of an idiom in its text with a footnote giving its idiomatic
meaning. This is better than not giving the meaning of the idiom at all, but
the communicationally preferred approach is to put the idiomatic meaning in
the text with the literal meaning footnoted, if that is desired by the
translators. Since many readers do not consult footnotes, putting the
literal meaning in the text gives the idea to readers that that is the
correct meaning, whereas it is actually the idiomatic footnoted meaning
which is the real meaning, which readers need to know to understand the
Bible accurately.
Version abbreviations are:
KJV = King James Version
NRSV = New Revised Standard Version
NASB = New American Standard Bible (1995 revision)
NIV = New International Version
REB = Revised English Bible
NLT = New Living Translation
TEV = Today's English Version
CEV = Contemporary English Version
NCV = New Century Version
GW = God's Word
NET = New English Translation (June 12, 2000 release)
ISV = International Standard Version (Revision 1.1.8, July 1, 2000 release)
HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible (gospels, 1999)
Mark 2:19
- KJV the children of the bridechamber
+ NRSV The wedding guests
+ NASB the attendants of the bridegroom
+ NIV the guests of the bridegroom
+ REB the bridegroom's friends
+ NLT wedding guests
+ TEV the guests at a wedding party
+ CEV The friends of a bridegroom
+ NCV The friends of the bridegroom
+ GW wedding guests
+ NET The wedding guests
+ ISV The wedding guests
+ HCSB The wedding guests
Matt. 21:5
- KJV the daughter of Sion
- NRSV the daughter of Zion
- NASB THE DAUGHTER OF ZION
- NIV the Daughter of Zion
- REB the daughter of Zion
+ NLT the people of Israel
+ TEV the city of Zion
+ CEV the people of Jerusalem
+ NCV the people of Jerusalem
+ GW the people of Zion
+ NET the people of Zion
- ISV the daughter of Zion
- HCSB the Daughter of Zion
Matt. 16:17
- KJV flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee
- NRSV flesh and blood has not revealed this to you
- NASB flesh and blood did not reveal this to you
+ NIV this was not revealed to you by man
+ REB You did not learn that from any human being
+ NLT You did not learn this from any human being
+ TEV For this truth did not come to you from any human being
+ CEV You didn't discover this on your own
+ NCV no person taught you that
+ GW No human revealed this to you
- NET flesh and blood did not reveal this to you
- ISV flesh and blood has not revealed this to you
- HCSB flesh and blood did not reveal this to you
Luke 20:34 (both "sons" and "children" give the wrong meaning in English)
- KJV The children of this world
+ NRSV Those who belong to this age
- NASB The sons of this age
+ NIV The people of this age
+ REB The men and women of this world
+ NLT people here on earth
+ TEV The men and women of this age
+ CEV The people in this world
+ NCV On earth, people
+ GW In this world people
+ NET The people of this age
+ ISV Those who belong to this age
- HCSB The children of this age
Mark 3:17 ("sons of __", meaning "those who are characteristically ___" is a
Hebraic idiom)
- KJV The sons of thunder
- NRSV Sons of Thunder
- NASB Sons of Thunder
- NIV Sons of Thunder
- REB Sons of Thunder
- NLT Sons of Thunder
+ TEV Men of Thunder
+ CEV Thunderbolts
- NCV Sons of Thunder
+ GW Thunderbolts
- NET sons of thunder
- ISV Sons of Thunder
- HCSB Sons of Thunder
John 17:12
- KJV the son of perdition
+ NRSV the one destined to be lost
- NASB the son of perdition
+ NIV the one doomed to destruction
+ REB the man doomed to be lost
+ NLT the one headed for destruction
+ TEV except the man who was bound to be lost
+ CEV the one who had to be lost
+ NCV the one worthy of destruction
+ GW none of them, except one person, became lost
+ NET the one destined for destruction
+ ISV except the one who was destined for destruction
- HCSB the son of destruction
Luke 7:35 (in English wisdom doesn't have children; "children" is used
metaphorically here in Greek)
- KJV wisdom is justified of all her children
- NRSV wisdom is vindicated by all her children
- NASB wisdom is vindicated by all her children
- NIV wisdom is proved right by all her children
- REB God's wisdom is proved right by all who are her children
+ NLT wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it
+ TEV God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by all who accept it
+ CEV Wisdom is shown to be right by what its followers do
+ NCV wisdom is proved to be right by what it does
+ GW wisdom is proved right by its actions
- NET wisdom is vindicated by all her children
- ISV Absolved from every act of sin,
is wisdom by her kith and kin.
- HCSB wisdom is vindicated by her children
John 11:41
- KJV Jesus lifted up [his] eyes
+ NRSV Jesus looked upward
- NASB raised His eyes
+ NIV Jesus looked up
+ REB Jesus looked upwards
+ NLT Jesus looked up to heaven
+ TEV Jesus looked up
+ CEV Jesus looked up toward heaven
+ NCV Jesus looked up
+ GW looked up
+ NET Jesus looked upward
+ ISV Jesus looked upward
- HCSB Jesus raised his eyes
Luke 17:13 ("raised their voices" is OK only if it refers to speaking
loudly)
- KJV lifted up their voices
+ NRSV called out
+ NASB raised their voices
+ NIV called out in a loud voice
+ REB called out to him
+ NLT crying out
+ TEV shouted
+ CEV shouted
+ NCV called
+ GW shouted
+ NET raised their voices
+ ISV shouted
+ HCSB raised their voices
Mark 14:34
+ KJV My soul is exceeding sorrowful
+ NRSV I am deeply grieved
+ NASB My soul is deeply grieved
+ NIV My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow
+ REB My heart is ready to break with grief
+ NLT My soul is crushed with grief
+ TEV The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me
+ CEV I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying
+ NCV My heart is full of sorrow
+ GW My anguish is so great
+ NET My soul is deeply grieved
+ ISV I am deeply grieved
- HCSB My soul is swallowed up in sorrow
John 1:13
- KJV Which were born, not of blood
- NRSV who were born, not of blood
- NASB who were born, not of blood
+ NIV born not of natural descent
+ REB born not of human stock
+ NLT This is not a physical birth
+ TEV did not become God's children by natural means
+ CEV were not God's children by nature
+ NCV did not become his children in any human way
+ GW who haven't been born in a physical way
+ NET not born by human parents
+ ISV who were born, not merely in a physical sense
- HCSB who were born, not of blood
Mark 9:1 (Hebraic idiom; death cannot be tasted in English)
- KJV shall not taste of death
- NRSV will not taste death
- NASB will not taste death
- NIV will not taste death
- REB will not taste death
+ NLT will not die
+ TEV will not die
+ CEV will not die
+ NCV before they die
+ GW will not die
- NET will not taste death
+ ISV will not experienceb death
- HCSB will not taste death
Mark 14:36 (adding "suffering" is an improvement but retention of literal
"cup" is still
not adequate for average English speakers, who only understand cup to be a
drinking
container)
- KJV take away this cup from me
- NRSV remove this cup from me
- NASB remove this cup from Me
- NIV Take this cup from me
- REB take this cup from me
- NLT Please take this cup of suffering away from me
- TEV Take this cup of suffering away from me
- CEV Don't make me suffer by having me drink from this cup
- NCV Take away this cup of suffering
- GW Take this cup [ of suffering ] away from me
- NET Take this cup away from me
- ISV Take this cup away from me
- HCSB Take this cup away from Me.
Matt. 1:25
- KJV knew her not
+ NRSV had no marital relations with her
+ NASB kept her a virgin
+ NIV had no union with her
+ REB had no intercourse with her
+ NLT she remained a virgin
+ TEV had no sexual relations with her
+ CEV did not sleep together
+ NCV did not have sexual relations with her
+ GW did not have marital relations with her
+ NET but did not have marital relations with her
+ ISV did not have marital relations with her
- HCSB did not know her intimately [even with "intimately" "know" does not
give the intended meaning to English speakers]
Mark 3:26 (in English a single personal entity cannot be "divided"; "Satan"
is metonymy for Satan's kingdom)
- KJV And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided
- NRSV if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided
- NASB If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided
- NIV if Satan opposes himself and is divided
- REB if Satan is divided and rebels against himself
- NLT if Satan is fighting against himself
+ TEV if Satan's kingdom divides into groups
- CEV if Satan fights against himself
+ NCV if Satan is against himself and fights against his own people
- GW if Satan rebels against himself and is divided
- NET if Satan rises against himself and is divided
- ISV So if Satan rebels against himself and is divided
- HCSB if Satan rebels against himself and is divided
Matt. 10:34 ("sword" is synecdoche for fighting; it is likely not understood
this
way by average English speakers)
- KJV I came not to send peace, but a sword
- NRSV I have not come to bring peace, but a sword
- NASB I did not come to bring peace, but a sword
- NIV I did not come to bring peace, but a sword
- REB I have not come to bring peace, but a sword
- NLT Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! No, I came to
bring a sword.
- TEV No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword
+ CEV I came to bring trouble, not peace
- NCV I did not come to bring peace, but a sword
+ GW I didn't come to bring peace but conflict
- NET I have not come to bring peace but a sword
- ISV I did not come to bring peace but a sword
- HCSB I did not come to bring peace, but a sword
Luke 24:25 (in English hearts are not "slow"; fieldtesting will likely show
"slow of
heart to believe" to be meaningless to average speakers)
- KJV slow of heart to believe
- NRSV slow of heart to believe
- NASB slow of heart to believe
- NIV slow of heart to believe
+ REB slow to believe
+ NLT You find it so hard to believe
+ TEV slow you are to believe
+ CEV slow to believe
+ NCV slow to believe
+ GW You're so slow to believe
- NET slow of heart to believe
- ISV slow of heart to believe
+ HCSB slow you are to believe in your hearts
Luke 10:30
- KJV fell among thieves
- NRSV fell into the hands of robbers
- NASB fell among robbers
- NIV fell into the hands of robbers
+ REB was set upon by robbers
+ NLT was attacked by bandits
+ TEV robbers attacked him
- CEV robbers attacked him
+ NCV some robbers attacked him
+ GW On the way robbers stripped him, beat him, and left him for dead
[attack is implicit]
- NET fell into the hands of robbers
- ISV fell into the hands of bandits
- HCSB fell into the hands of robbers
Others:
Luke 2:26 ("see death", not an English expression)
Luke 2:29 (euphemism "dismiss" = die)
Results:
Percentage of adequate renderings for the 22 idioms studied in each version:
KJV 1/18 5%
NRSV 7/18 39%
NASB 4/18 22%
NIV 8/18 44%
REB 10/18 55%
NLT 13/18 72%
TEV 15/18 83%
CEV 14/18 78%
NCV 14/18 78%
GW 15/18 83%
NET 9/18 50%
ISV 9/18 50%
HCSB 3/18 17%
Anyone who wishes to translate Biblical idioms into another language,
including
English, should study the textbook, Translating the Word of God, by John
Beekman and John Callow (see pages 29-30, 188-190; Zondervan, 1974).
Study completed and first posted July 21, 2000, by Wayne Leman
Bible translation discussion list: bible-translation-subscribe@kastanet.org
Wayne
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