Kate asks a fascinating question about translating the Bible into the language of an cannibalistic tribe in the Amazon that grammatically classifies non-tribe members as “edible”: Linguist/philosopher Steven Pinker and other researchers inform us that the language of one Amazonian tribe, the Wari, grammatically classifies nouns as either “edible objects” or “inedible objects” — with…
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…if so, Genesis 2 might not only allow homosexual marriage but, in fact, demand it.
My latest book — The Bible Doesn’t Say That: 40 Biblical Mistranslations, Misconceptions, and Other Misunderstandings — goes on sale today! A “witty and accessible look at Scripture … Hoffman has produced the best kind of popular scholarship, that will interest both religious and secular readers.” – Publishers Weekly Here’s the cover copy: The Bible…
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According to the NRSV translation of Luke 1:41, Elizabeth’s “child leaped in her womb.” The Greek here for “womb” (koilia) means “belly” or “stomach.” It’s the same word used of the snake in Genesis, for instance, which is punished to walk on its belly. Because snakes don’t have wombs, contexts like this show us that…
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Perhaps most relevant to the Bible’s view on abortion is Exodus 21:22, which is in fact relevant for two reasons. According to the NRSV the text proclaims: When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what…
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A New York Times article yesterday titled “Christians Debate Verses From Bible on Homosexuality” presents, among other things, two views of what Paul says about homosexuality in Romans 1:26-27. Unfortunately, both positions depend on translation inaccuracies. Romans 1:26-27 “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for…
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Isaiah 54:1 opens with two words in stark contrast: A command to “rejoice” followed immediately by “barren woman.” Rejoicing represents one extreme of the emotional spectrum, while “barren woman” embodies the other.
In the fall I promised an “Isaiah translation challenge” — a collective approach to understanding and translating the exquisite poetry of Isaiah 54. I’m pleased to announce that it’s here. My next post is a detailed analysis of the text of Isaiah 54:1, written with an eye toward guiding poets and translators. I hope you’ll…
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As I recently explained on my blog for “The Unabridged Bible” (“Why did they Build the Tower of Babel?“), the Tower of Babel was waterproofed, the goal being to protect the people against a future flood from God. The text even says so: “And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar” (Genesis 11:3,…
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