Recently in my study of the book of John I was reminded of something I noticed sometime back. Let us examine the critical text from the Nestle-Aland 26th edition of the Greek New Testament. The text is identical in the 27th edition.

1:15 ιωαννης μαρτυρει περι αυτου και κεκραγεν λεγων ουτος ην ον ειπον ο οπισω μου ερχομενος εμπροσθεν μου γεγονεν οτι πρωτος μου ην

1:16 οτι εκ του πληρωματος αυτου ημεις παντες ελαβομεν και χαριν αντι χαριτος

1:17 οτι ο νομος δια μωυσεως εδοθη η χαρις και η αληθεια δια ιησου χριστου εγενετο
Notice that we a pattern of οτι that are translated inconsistently, which should get the reader’s attention. I see three possible syntactical functions of these οτι: emphatic, causal, and conjunctive. Reading translations you’ll see any variation of these three interpretations used. Also notice that in many translations, the second οτι here simply disappears and doesn’t get translated at all. It’s just smoothed over.

1:17 is where this gets interesting. I have pasted in a monotonic text, but the critical text is polytonic. The article η in front of αληθεια takes a spiritus asper, that is, a rough breathing, in the critical texts. It is my belief that this eta should take a spiritus lenis, a smooth breathing. It is also my belief that critical texts should be monotonic to begin with to leave these sorts of questions to the reader, rather than insert a false sense of confidence.
The oldest manuscripts, of course, are uncials with no punctuation or diacriticals. So diacriticals (which weren’t used until around the 4th century AD with any regularity) in the critical text are entirely the opinion of the textual committee, not the text. I believe the committees continue to insert the spiritus asper because it changes this eta from an article into a disjunctive “but”.

To insert a disjunctive into this sentence has the effect of putting the Torah of Moses into opposition with the grace and truth through Yeshua the Messiah. However, the string of οτι seems to rule out a disjunctive force here; rather a conjunctive force is in order if one expects anything at all. Also, a reference to the λογος: Moses brought the Torah just as Christ brought grace and truth — ie, the λογος.

This example serves to illustrate that one cannot even blithely read over a critical text and not risk being decieved. The critical text as well has a theological bias which is in turn transmitted by the translators who add their own dimensions of butchery. I suggest taking diacriticals with a grain of salt, if not ignoring them completely, and let the context suggest the correct choices to make.

In summery, last week we found that the LORD was with Joseph and that his life and those around him were effected by that. But what does that mean?
(39:2) וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת-יוֹסֵף.

(39:21) וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת-יוֹסֵף.

In the the above two verses the typical translation reads “and the Lord was with Joseph” It should be noted that we find the famous Waw consecutive attached to the common verb to be in infinitive form. Read the rest of this entry »

On the 14th of this month William Pfaff wrote an interesting and well thoughout article on what he terms “Agrressive Atheism”.
http://www.williampfaff.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=181

He points out that many in this camp: Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I’ve been doing my own translation of the book of Acts. I have enjoyed it and encountered some interest and appreciation for what I’ve been doing, so I will likely do more of this type of work. Let me know what you think.

2:42 ησαν δε προσκαρτερουντες τη διδαχη των αποστολων και τη κοινωνια τη κλασει του αρτου και ταις προσευχαις

For they were enthralled with the teachings of the apostles, sharing close relationships and the breaking of the bread and prayer.

2:43 εγινετο δε παση ψυχη φοβος πολλα τε τερατα και σημεια δια των αποστολων εγινετο

There arose in everyone a spirit of awe, for many wonders and signs came about through the apostles.

2:44 παντες δε οι πιστευοντες ησαν επι το αυτο και ειχον απαντα κοινα

All of the faithful were together and had everything in common.
*απαντα is an apparent Atticism. I suspect euphonic reasons because of the preceding -ον. Does this function emphatically?

2:45 και τα κτηματα και τας υπαρξεις επιπρασκον και διεμεριζον αυτα πασιν καθοτι αν τις χρειαν ειχεν

And selling their estates and their other possessions, they divided everything to each according to need.

2:46 καθ ημεραν τε προσκαρτερουντες ομοθυμαδον εν τω ιερω κλωντες τε κατ οικον αρτον μετελαμβανον τροφης εν αγαλλιασει και αφελοτητι καρδιας

Each day they were devoted as with a single mind in the Temple, breaking bread in the house, sharing food with exultation and sincerity in their hearts
*I may have more to say about the function of αφελοτητι soon, I’m considering this.

2:47 αινουντες τον θεον και εχοντες χαριν προς ολον τον λαον ο δε κυριος προσετιθει τους σωζομενους καθ ημεραν επι το αυτο

praising God and having gracious care towards all people, for the Lord daily added to them those who were being rescued.

With the winter brings the Hanukkah and Advent season. Hanukkah being based on a lunar calendar can take place almost anytime during the winter, but Advent is usually at a fixed point in time. Anyway, let’s keep the lights burning as reminder of what this season is really about. For both Jews and Christians it’s a season of light and redemption(of course for very different reasons!).

Here are a few links about Hanukkah:
http://www.history.com/minisites/hanukkah

http://www.beliefnet.com/index/index_10095.html

http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/fiszer/hanukah.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Go in peace

Although the chapters and verse numbers found in our Biblical texts are not original, they sometimes make sense and divide the text in a logical manner. We have the former archbishop of canterbury(1207 to 1228) Stephen Langton to thank for these convenient points of reference and for dividing last Saturday’s Torah portion so neatly and for recognizing the Torah’s already beautiful format. Read the rest of this entry »

No, there wasn’t a double Torah portion this Weekend but I thought that these two sections compliment each other pretty well. After, all they are a continuation of the same story.

In, the first section Jacob becomes a fugitive and while escaping from his brother’s wrath he has an encounter with God. He stopped for the night to get some rest and he while he is sleeping he sees messengers (angels) going up and down a (a stair case, ramp, or ladder?). Then, suddenly YHWH was standing or appeared (Gen 28:13). Read the rest of this entry »

No one who has read the Pentateuch can ignore the fact that it contains a few stories that are in someway political. Because of that fact people often take passages in Pentateuch out of context and read into them current political crises and ones that they imagine might happen in the future.

Our passage today has for example been illogically interpreted (ripped out of context) by some to say that the children of Esau became the Roman Empire and today others do the same when they claim that Arabs are the descendents of Esau. Neither the Romans nor the Arabs have anything to do with Esau genetically at least. From Esau came a powerful nation called the Edomites who have long since disappeared into the pages of history.
Read the rest of this entry »

At the present time（November 25rd　２００６） this article can be found online at the following sites:

http://opc.org/machen/MachenGreek.html http://homepage.mac.com/shanerosenthal/reformationink/jgmmingreek.htm

The Minister and His Greek New Testament by J. Gresham Machen

The widening breach between the minister and his Greek Testament may be traced to two principal causes. The modern minister objects to his Greek New Testament or is indifferent to it, first, because he is becoming less interested in his Greek, and second, because he is becoming less interested in his New Testament.

Read the rest of this entry »

Some have made much to do about the title of this section of Torah. But, the title has very little to do with this section at all. And it is enough to say that the title is only as use as a convenient book mark. Since, this section begins with the words ויהיו חיי שרה it made sense that the title of this section should also be called “חיי שרה“so that one could easily find their place in the Torah scroll which of course has no page numbers, chapters, or verses.

Read the rest of this entry »