“And David’s sons were priests”: Translating Perceived Discrepancies

Second Samuel 8.18 mentions that David’s sons were priests. This statement has puzzled translators for a long time. How could David’s sons be priests, since they were of the tribe of Judah and not descendants of Aaron? It may be tempting to follow KJV or NIV or other influential translations and say that they were “chief rulers” or “royal advisors.” But this will take us away from the Hebrew text. To say that in 2 Sam 8.18 we should translate “priests” because we translate from the Hebrew and this is what the Hebrew says, so that other renderings are incorrect, is a valid response. But how could the statement in 2 Sam 8.18 and its context be explained more satisfactorily? And how can translation teams be advised when David’s sons are not priests in their drafted translation of this verse?

The Text of Philippians 3.12 in the Gothic Translation: Paul Not Already Deemed Righteous?

The Gothic translation of Paul’s Letter to the Philippians contains a reading in which Paul claims he is not already deemed righteous (ni . . . ju garaihts gadomiþs sijau, Phil 3.12). In light of this, the Gothic version has been included as a textual witness to the so-called justification clause, a variant reading scholars have labeled “intriguing,” “very interesting,” “striking,” and “astounding.” However, no scholarly attention has been devoted specifically to the Gothic version of the justification clause of Phil 3.12. This article fills that gap. The author gives attention to this text as it appears in the surviving Gothic manuscripts and discusses two of its noteworthy features. Both features contribute to the wisdom of exercising caution before dismissing the reading as a representative of a secondary insertion into the earliest Greek text of the Pauline Letters.

Colossians 1.12a: A Case for the Reading of the Earliest Witnesses

The evidence favoring the reading ἅμα τῷ πατρι in Col 1.12 is more compelling than is generally recognized. This variant is the reading supported by the earliest extant witnesses (P46 B), the more difficult reading, and the reading that best explains the origin of the other readings. Scholars who have viewed the reading as a palpable error are likely misreading the variant in the same manner that prompted early scribes to omit the ἅμα. This earliest attested reading supports Tischendorf's punctuation of the verse, the translation adopted by many major English versions, and the structure and exegesis of the passage affirmed by most recent commentaries. These versions and commentaries demonstrate how suitable this reading is in this context. Critical editions of the Greek New Testament should reconsider adopting this reading in their base text.

The Newer Greek Text of the New Testament (NA28 and UBS5) and Its Implications for Translation

Compared to the previous editions of the Greek New Testament, Nestle–Aland27 and UBS4, the newer editions (NA28 and UBS5) present some thirty-four changes, specifically in the Catholic Epistles. To what extent will this impact the translation of the New Testament? This paper will show that in half of those instances there will be some implication for translators and revisers of the New Testament.

Understanding and Translating Proverbs 25.27: Weighing the “Honorable” Options

Proverbs 25.27, particularly the second verset (27b) as found in the Masoretic Text, has created problems for interpreters. This paper identifies those problems and then lists, summarizes, and evaluates the major options that interpreters have offered as well as offering a couple of new options based on recognizing a double entendre.

Reading Ruth as an Akan Story: A Proposal for an Alternative Akan Mother-Tongue Translation of Ruth 1.1

One of the key steps in interpreting a biblical text is to identify its literary genre correctly. It is important for Bible translators to ensure that the translated text takes account of the genre of the source text and that an appropriate genre from the receptor culture is employed. The book of Ruth is generally recognized as a story. Yet, the translation of Ruth 1.1 into three Akan dialects—Asante, Akuapem, and Fante—does not introduce what follows in the book as a story and so Akan readers may not correctly interpret Ruth as a story. It is against this backdrop that this paper examines storytelling elements in the book of Ruth through a discourse analysis and then offers an alternative Akan translation of Ruth 1.1 that will lead to an improved interpretation and appropriate application of the message of the book.

Towards Professionalization of Church Interpretation in Tanzania: What Do Church Stakeholders Say about the Quality Criteria of Church Interpretation?

Church interpretation is a fast-growing service in practice, though it is still immature in professionalization. This study examines the criteria for measuring quality in church interpretation in Tanzania. These criteria are compared with those discussed by scholars elsewhere. Data were collected in ten representative churches in Dar es Salaam through interviews, focus-group discussions, and questionnaires. It was found that most criteria mentioned by participants in this study, such as fluency, mastery of grammar, faithfulness, congruence, and others, shared a great deal with the criteria discussed in the literature on interpretation. It was also established that initiatives to improve church interpretation in Tanzania are still embryonic, as there are limited actions taken by professional stakeholders to improve it. This paper calls for interpretation stakeholders to provide professional training for interpreters who intend to become professional church interpreters.

Regular and Irregular Variable Questions in New Testament Greek

The formation of variable questions in direct speech is remarkably regular in Hellenistic Greek. There are, however, a few exceptions to the standard rule that the Greek New Testament exhibits. These exceptions occur for rhetorical and social reasons and in such a way that they affect the information structure and meaning of these interrogatives. Questions that follow the rule—and the exceptions—both evidence the regularity of word order in New Testament Greek.