Translations of the sacred text are an integral part of the American way of life.
The reason is, very few people can read Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the original
languages of scripture.
We have several important manuscripts that help establish the text of the Old
Testament. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered at Qumran by the Dead Sea
in 1947. Between 1952 and 1956 manuscript discoveries were made in more of
the caves at Qumran. Cave 1 yielded the Isaiah manuscript and the Habakkuk
Commentary. Cave 2 contained the Psalm Scroll. Cave 4 was especially beneficial
in that it contained more than 380 fragments of manuscripts. None of these
manuscripts are written in English.
There are other manuscripts that aid the translator in determining the meaning
of the text of the Old Testament: The Nash Papyrus, the Geniza Fragments, the
Ben Asher Manuscripts, Codex Cairensis, the Aleppo Codex, Codex
Leningradensis, the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets, the Erfurt Codices, Codex
Severi, Codex Hillel, Codex Muga, Codex Jericho, Codex Jerushalmi, the Samaritan
Pentateuch, the Septuagint, the later Greek versions (Acquila, Symmachus, and
Theodotion), Origen's Hexapla, the Aramaic Targums, the Syriac Version (Peshitta),
the Old Latin, Jerome's Vulgate, the Coptic Versions, the Ethiopic Versions, the
Armenian Version, the Arabic Versions, and several other sources in whole or in
part help establish the text of the Old Testament. None of these manuscripts are
written in English.
We also have several important manuscripts of the text of the New Testament.
There are approximately 116 Greek papyri of the New Testament that have
been assigned numbers. Approximately 310 majuscule manuscripts have been
catalogued. The number of miniscule manuscripts totals at least 2,877. About 2,432
lectionaries of the Greek New Testament have been catalogued. Portions of the New
Testament books have been preserved on ostraca, or broken pieces of pottery used
as writing material. At least 25 of these have been catalogued. We can say that to
date, the important manuscript evidence of the text of the New Testament
numbers about 5735 or slightly more. None of the manuscripts are written in English.
There is sizable mass of evidence available for translators and textual critics to
analyze in order to ascertain the text of the Old and New Testaments. Most people
do not know the original languages of scripture. Therefore, if the masses ate to have
access to God's word, it must be translated into their language.
It is evident that translations have their place, and that God intends for
all people to have his word in their language. The very fact that our Lord, his
apostles, and the early disciples used a translation known as the Septuagint
(LXX), provides authority to have and use translations of the scriptures. Scholars
know the Septuagint is not a perfect translation. Sometimes it is very literal. At
other times it is paraphrastic. There are some places where it omits portions of
the Hebrew text, yet the apostles and the early disciples found it to be worthy
of use.
English speaking people are blessed to have many translations of sacred
scripture. They can be used for comparative study. They can assist the exegete in
delving deeply into the meaning of a passage, especially when he notes the
differences among the various translations and asks, "Why is this word or passage
translated differently?" (Adapted from A Perspective On Bible Translations,
Ron Daly, pages 18-20, Published by Erhardt Publications, Copyright 2010)
The reason is, very few people can read Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the original
languages of scripture.
We have several important manuscripts that help establish the text of the Old
Testament. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered at Qumran by the Dead Sea
in 1947. Between 1952 and 1956 manuscript discoveries were made in more of
the caves at Qumran. Cave 1 yielded the Isaiah manuscript and the Habakkuk
Commentary. Cave 2 contained the Psalm Scroll. Cave 4 was especially beneficial
in that it contained more than 380 fragments of manuscripts. None of these
manuscripts are written in English.
There are other manuscripts that aid the translator in determining the meaning
of the text of the Old Testament: The Nash Papyrus, the Geniza Fragments, the
Ben Asher Manuscripts, Codex Cairensis, the Aleppo Codex, Codex
Leningradensis, the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets, the Erfurt Codices, Codex
Severi, Codex Hillel, Codex Muga, Codex Jericho, Codex Jerushalmi, the Samaritan
Pentateuch, the Septuagint, the later Greek versions (Acquila, Symmachus, and
Theodotion), Origen's Hexapla, the Aramaic Targums, the Syriac Version (Peshitta),
the Old Latin, Jerome's Vulgate, the Coptic Versions, the Ethiopic Versions, the
Armenian Version, the Arabic Versions, and several other sources in whole or in
part help establish the text of the Old Testament. None of these manuscripts are
written in English.
We also have several important manuscripts of the text of the New Testament.
There are approximately 116 Greek papyri of the New Testament that have
been assigned numbers. Approximately 310 majuscule manuscripts have been
catalogued. The number of miniscule manuscripts totals at least 2,877. About 2,432
lectionaries of the Greek New Testament have been catalogued. Portions of the New
Testament books have been preserved on ostraca, or broken pieces of pottery used
as writing material. At least 25 of these have been catalogued. We can say that to
date, the important manuscript evidence of the text of the New Testament
numbers about 5735 or slightly more. None of the manuscripts are written in English.
There is sizable mass of evidence available for translators and textual critics to
analyze in order to ascertain the text of the Old and New Testaments. Most people
do not know the original languages of scripture. Therefore, if the masses ate to have
access to God's word, it must be translated into their language.
It is evident that translations have their place, and that God intends for
all people to have his word in their language. The very fact that our Lord, his
apostles, and the early disciples used a translation known as the Septuagint
(LXX), provides authority to have and use translations of the scriptures. Scholars
know the Septuagint is not a perfect translation. Sometimes it is very literal. At
other times it is paraphrastic. There are some places where it omits portions of
the Hebrew text, yet the apostles and the early disciples found it to be worthy
of use.
English speaking people are blessed to have many translations of sacred
scripture. They can be used for comparative study. They can assist the exegete in
delving deeply into the meaning of a passage, especially when he notes the
differences among the various translations and asks, "Why is this word or passage
translated differently?" (Adapted from A Perspective On Bible Translations,
Ron Daly, pages 18-20, Published by Erhardt Publications, Copyright 2010)
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