In Biblical Hebrew there are two basic forms to describe the temple: Heykhal YHWH and Beyt YHWH. Heykahl is derived from the Sumerian word E-GAL, and by most means a large structure.
Biblical Hebrew
5
Jun
One of the most common verses on FB is the following from Psalms 122:6:
שאלו שלום ירושלם, ישליו אהביך“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, those who love you shall be at peace”
Like many of the discussions I have about verses, there are several questions about the correct translation of individual words. Besides the questionable translations I see for the second part of the verse, we also have a case of contextual translation in the first word of the verse.
2
May
The Hebrew word for Ink-דיו-Dyo is a common word which appears in several Semitic languages. One opinion (Lambedin) argues that it is actually derived from an Egyptian word “rith” which is argued to be the original for of Dyo which should be Ryo. This is argued based on the physical resemblance between the Hebrew letters ד-ר which many do confuse.
23
Feb
There is an old saying in Jewish sources:
איזהו גיבור? הכובש את יצרוEyzhe Hu Gibor? Hakovesh Et YtsroWho is a hero? He who overcomes his will.
17
Feb
An ancient idiomatic expression found also in Hebrew is
לשים לבLasim Lev“To place the heart”
12
Feb
In this article I want to demonstrate the changes which happen between related languages. I will use the word for snow to do this.
6
Dec
It is very cold at the moment here in Israel, and I was thinking of a small anecdote for today:
The word for cold in Hebrew is קר-Qar. What is interesting is that another word for cold in Biblical Hebrew is קרח-Qerach (ice) as Ya’akov states:
23
Jun
I will admit that this post is a response to a post I saw about a Hebrew word. It is very common for people who are not experts in the field to offer their idea on a subject, but in many cases they lack the tools to explain things correctly. I keep on seeing this in my field, and I do my best to correct the problem.
A very difficult word in Hebrew is the word אישון- Ishon; Pupil. Due to the fact that Hebrew uses roots we assume that what we have in front of us is the root, or at least most of it. The problem here is that the root of this specific word is not clear, and many tend to take it to a root of another word assuming they are linked. It is very common for speakers to do analogies which lead to the creation of new words, but in this case I am not sure it is true.
27
Oct
Translating has always been a problematic practice, and the translation of texts throughout the history of mankind has created many discrepancies either by mistake or deliberate. Here I will discuss in short a simple textual problem which shows how translations are not always reliable.
שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, תָּחֹג לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בַּמָּקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר–יִבְחַר יְהוָה: כִּי יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכֹל תְּבוּאָתְךָ וּבְכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ, וְהָיִיתָ, אַךְ שָׂמֵחַ
“For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.” Deut 16:15
The word used in the Hebrew to describe “complete” at the end of the English translation is the word “Akh” which should be translated as “surely/very”. The word Akh is used in different places with different meanings which is a very common element in Hebrew. Hebrew uses words in different ways due to the smaller number of actual words that it has, creating multiple word meanings. In our case, the word is used as a strengthening element that is telling us to be very joyful during the feasts. With all this said, the word “complete” does have a similar meaning in that the text is telling us to be completely joyful without any sadness. The English transmit the idea while translating the word differently from its actual meaning.
This practice of changing the text is not unusual and can be found in multiple places throughout the history of translation. A good example is how the LXX cannot find an exact parallel word fro the Hebrew, or in other cases, the Greek cannot translate word for word. An extensive study by J.W Wevers “Notes on the Greek text” on the LXX text version has shown that in many places the Greek translator either decided to only translate some of the words directly, while in other places only keep to the spirit of the text. This practice continues to this very day when words or statements cannot be translated word for word.
Another problem we find in the history of translation is fashions in-text translations. Some translators try to stick to a rigorous Pshat by creating a non-sensical translation or by assigning word meaning which is not what the text is saying. An example of this is the translation of the word יום yôm (day) as “unit”. This translation reflects the dilemma the translater has with science and modern-day understanding of the text. This type of mindset can be found in ancient translations of the LXX where translators would variate from a simple Pshat to a more midrashic non-simple translation (Watson W.G.E “The Septuagint in Context, Atlanta 2000).
Hence, the translations of text is a complicated matter, one must have discretion when translation, and also a good understanding of both languages.
Originally Published: October 27, 2014
20
Oct
Here is a case of mistranslation that one of my students pointed out to me. Though some translations have corrected it, it is a good platform to present a rule in Hebrew.
Join My Group Bible Class TODAY!
The class is done in a virtual class room with multiple participants. We meet on Sundays at 11:45am US eastern, or 6:45pm Israel time. You do not need to know Hebrew for this class, and you also receive a recording of the classes every month. For the link and how to join, click the More Info Button to email us.
