Therefore the law has become our tutor (Grk. New American Standard Bible 1995, NASB 1995 paidagogos) to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster (Grk. paidagogos) until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. He uses the Greek word paidagogos (guardian/tutor), which is challenging to convey in English, and this passage has been a source of debate for centuries. Let’s check out a Greek example with a line from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia-Galatians 3:24. When you hit a passage like that, you can be sure the original manuscript evidence we have is hard for even the best biblical scholars to decipher. Some say he reigned for two years, and others say he reigned for 30 years. Some will say that King Saul was a toddler when he became a ruler, while others put him in his 30s. We can see how multiple English renderings of the same idea give us a deeper understanding of rakhum, not to mention all the other words.įor another example, try reading multiple translations of 1 Samuel 13:1. Seeing and respecting variations helps us humbly continue the work it takes to understand the words of others. It’s clear we have more than one way to understand the Hebrew word rakhum: tender mercies, compassion, mercy, pity, help, and tenderhearted mercies. rakhum) meet our needs, for we are brought low to the dust. Oh, do not hold us guilty for our former sins! Let your tenderhearted mercies (Heb. rakhum) and come quickly! We are completely helpless.ĭon’t blame us for the sins of our parents. rakhum) quickly meet our needs, for we are on the brink of despair.ĭon't make us pay for the sins of our ancestors. rakhum) come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.ĭo not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors! Let your compassion (Heb. rakhum) come quickly to meet us, for we have become very low.ĭo not hold against us the sins of past generations may your mercy (Heb. rakhum) speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.ĭo not hold us responsible for the guilty deeds of our forefathers let your compassion (Heb. ![]() O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies (Heb. Bibles like The Living Bible (TLB) and Eugene Peterson’s The Message (MSG) take more creative license to adjust words, capturing a dynamic thought-for-thought translation rather than literal word-for-word.įor one Hebrew example, notice how a selection of translations will render the Hebrew word rakhum (mercy, compassion) in Psalm 79:8. And paraphrases push the readability goal even further. ![]() Translations like the New Living Translation (NLT) and the Contemporary English Version (CEV) give more weight to readability. However, some translations, like the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the New King James Version (NKJV), will give more weight to matching the original language word-for-word. Most published translations will not render the original language this awkwardly. Someone translating John 3:16 word-for-word into English from the original Greek text without trying to make it readable would likely end up with something like this:įor so loved, God, the world, that his Son, the only begotten, he gave, that everyone who is believing on him may not perish, but may life unto the age. Sometimes we assume that a strictly literal, word-for-word translation would be the most accurate, but that doesn’t always work. They want to stay true to the wording of original-language manuscripts, while also providing an understandable reading experience. Scholars developing English translations of the Bible are balancing two goals: reliability and readability.
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