Oct 1962 - Q & A

Question:Am I right in assuming that the use of the words, "as originally written," in the last paragraph of "Jottings" in Needed Truth, No.785, July, 1962, page 98 mean the actual words in Hebrew (or other ancient language) and Greek, are the God-breathed revelation? If this is the meaning of the phrase, would we then be justified in regarding the A.V., or R.V., or Mr. Darby's translation as " God-breathed?" Is it not true that translation carries with it a great element of interpretation? With regard to the New Testament, since I understand that none of the original manuscripts are in existence, but hundreds of copies, all differing in one way or another, would it be true then to say that we do not have the inspired Writings in our possession now?

Answer: The questioner has rightly understood our meaning, that the words of Scripture as originally written by the prophets and apostles and others in the Old and New Testaments were Godbreathed and form the complete and full revelation of God for men on earth. It is well-known to all who have interested themselves in how we got the English Bible that none of the original Scriptures in Hebrew and Greek are now extant. The Jewish people have carefully, over long centuries, guarded the Old Testament Scriptures, and in regard to the New Testament many worthy men have spent their lives in Textual Criticism to give us in the various Greek texts which they produced from the available manuscripts the words which the Holy Spirit caused the apostles and others to write. The differences between these texts are small as compared with the vast volume of words upon which they are agreed that the Holy Spirit actually used. There is no doubt whatever that in these Greek texts we have largely the divinely-breathed words of the Spirit.

Then as to the excellent translations of the A.V. and the R.V. we have the combined labours of many men, worthy men generally speaking, who laboured to give to the English speaking peoples the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures in their own tongue. We are deeply indebted to them for the labours that they willingly gave. At the head of that list of men stand Wycliffe and Tyndale, men to whom this country is indebted more than we can estimate for giving to us their translations of the Scriptures into the vernacular.

What is a translation? A translation is what is transferred; the word is derived from the Latin, trans, across, and ferre, to carry. A translator seeks to carry the meaning of what is said in one language into another. The words in the two languages may not always have the same meaning exactly, but the translator does his best in the use of the words available to convey into the other the meaning of the language from which he translates. Hence it is that translators are using, and have used, different words from other translators, deeming that the words that they use are closer to the original than those used by others. The essential meaning in translation is given in Nehemiah 8.8 and of this verse we find Gesenius saying in his Hebrew lexicon:

Distinctly:"to be distinctly said: Neh. 8.8, 'and they read in the book of the law (Vulgate distinete; i.e. word by word), and they gave the sense, and they explained what they read'."

I have no doubt that many present after their long captivity in Babylon, many being born in that land, did not understand Hebrew, so the sense of what was read had to be given. Translation calls for an exact knowledge of two languages, that from which and that into which the translation is made. But in regard to the Scriptures spiritual perception is also a very necessary qualification in a translation.

A translation is the work of men; no doubt in many cases the help of the Holy Spirit has been known by them. But in contrast, the Scriptures as originally given were inspired and did not come by the will of men, but men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit being the Author, and man, shall we say, the amanuensis.

The translation of Mr. Darby is a good book of reference, as are

some other translations.

unknown | Oct 1962
Question And Answer