Matthew 4:4 (also Luke 4:4) is among the most famous Bible quotations: “Man shall not live on bread alone” (NIV2011) or, better, “one does not live on bread alone.” But if not on bread, then what? What’s interesting is that there are two completely different answers.
I’m thrilled to announce the beta version of my latest project: Exploring the Bible videos. The site is a growing collection of short text-based videos about the Bible, frequently focusing on translation issues. The first three videos (also available on YouTube) are: John 3:16 – What does “God so loved the world” really mean? Quiz:…
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CNN’s belief blog has an interesting story about a request by PETA not to call animals “it” in Bible translations: PETA is hoping the [NIV’s] move toward greater gender inclusiveness will continue toward animals as well. “When the Bible moves toward inclusively in one area [human gender -JMH] … it wasn’t much of a stretch…
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The NAB’s decision to change “virgin” to “young woman” in Isaiah 7:14 has once again brought up the virgin birth, Mary, and the nature of prophesy, as well as the role of translation in accurately conveying the text of the Bible. Most reports I’ve seen recently, though, confuse what are really three separate issues here.…
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In the original Hebrew, the Ten Commandments don’t address coveting, so common renditions like “do not covet” or “thou shalt not covet” are mistranslations. New! This post is also available as a video, part of the Exploring the Bible Videos series. The Hebrew verb in the 10th commandment (or, for some, the 9th and 10th…
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Bill Mounce has a post (also here) about the “strong” tower in Proverbs 18:10. He notes that the NIV 2010 (following the TNIV) changes the familiar translation “strong tower” into “fortified tower,” thereby mucking with the text of a familiar hymn. Dr. Mounce concludes that the change from “strong” to “fortified” is nonetheless warranted because…
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With much of the U.S. buried under snow and ice (myself included), I thought I’d turn to the end of Psalm 147. The NRSV translates Psalm 147:15-18 as follows: [15] He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. [16] He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. [17] He…
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It has long been known that the KJV translation “virgin” for the pregnant woman in Isaiah 7:14 is inaccurate, and many modern translations opt instead for “young woman” or at least a footnote along those lines. The NRSV, for example, translates: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is…
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Recent posts from my Ancient Wisdom, Modern Lives:
