AN INTERCULTURAL CRITICISM OF NEW TESTAMENT TRANSLATIONS

The aim of this study is to show similarities and differences

Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology (MOTBIT), 2022

In Ghana, the Western missionaries who introduced Christianity into the country reduced some Ghanaian languages into written form and then translated the Bible into these languages. After the missionaries left the country, the task of Bible translation was continued by Ghanaians to make the Bible accessible to various linguistic groups in the country. Out of the numerous problems that Bible translators encounter in their work is the nonavailability of a word in the receptor languages to carry the exact meaning of a word in the source language. This and other challenges sometimes lead to obscurity in the translated text and the resulting theology. Of interest to the present paper, is the translation of Genesis 1:26-27 into Akuapem-Twi mother-tongue. As an exegetical study, the source texts were semantically and morpho-syntactically analysed and their renderings in the Akuapem-Twi Bible were compared. The philosophy behind the texts under study in the Akan/Twi Bibles could be largely, formal or literal equivalence (wordfor-word). Though in some instances in all the Twi dialects and some other instances, in one or two dialects, the translators employed the dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) approach. In each of the instances, the approach adopted has either aided or distorted the interpretation of the target text. The rendering of the text (Gen.1:26-27) in the Akuapem-Twi Bible presents deviations from the source text and should consequently be revised and reread. For instance, after a careful study of ancient (source) texts such as the Masoretic Text, Septuagint and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan and their comparison with the Akuapem-Twi Bible translation concerning Genesis 1:26-27, this paper argues that the Hebrew verb āsāh (v. 26), translated as bcc, "created" could be rendered as ycc/yjj, "made" and the pronoun, 'ōṯo (v. 27), presented as wcn, "them" should be interpreted as no, "him," in order to establish literary consistency with the source texts.

Lebende Sprachen, 2018

In this paper, I explore the validity of the retranslation hypothesis – that the first translation of a text tends to be more target culture oriented than subsequent translations – in representations of certain Biblical concepts in the translations of the Bible into Igbo. Specifically I investigate instances of lexical borrowings in the first complete translation of the Bible into Igbo because, following from the hypothesis, subsequent translations of the Bible should also borrow the same items. I discover that most of the borrowings in the first translation are de-borrowed in the retranslations, while the retained borrowings undergo various forms of grapho-phonological adjustments to reflect the Igbo linguistic system. Thus, the retranslation hypothesis is not validated in this study. I trace this choice of indigenization in the subsequent translations to the agents involved in the translations. Being specialists in Igbo Studies, they understand the Igbo linguistic system better th...

Harries, Jim. 2011. 'Pragmatic Linguistics Applied to Bible Translation, Projects and Inter-cultural Relationships: an African focus.' 57-80 In: Harries, Jim, 2011. Vulnerable Mission; insights into Christian Mission to Africa from a position of vulnerability. Pasadena: William Carey Library.

Translation issues have all too often been considered the rightful domain of SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics) and UBS (United Bible Societies)—the Bible translators. This article challenges this restrictive wisdom. The linguistic guidelines proposed in this article are important for those engaged in church planting, theological education, and all kinds of support and development projects. While few missionaries doubt the value of having Scripture in people’s own languages, more need to consider the importance of not only having them but also using them, and building on the foundation that they represent. Missionaries need, I argue in this essay, to pay urgent attention to linguistic and translation issues that bear heavily on their mission and ministry.

Should the Bible be translated directly from the Hebrew and Greek texts? One may wonder why the question even needs to be addressed. However, for those who work with Bible translators across Africa, a ‘yes’ answer might come with a note of caution. This paper will look at a bit of the history of Bible translation practice in reference to Biblical languages, and seek to understand the issues involved. In conclusion, it will propose how we can overcome the challenges of translation from Biblical languages and achieve higher quality and respected translations across Africa.

Academic Journal of Educational Sciences, 2019

This article proposes new method in Bible interpretation by comparing translation products of Bible which are reflected in many different languages. This writing is also a result of a research which found that comprehending Bible does not demand only its original languages (Hebrew and Greek), however, national languages and local ones may also be used to explore the meaning carried in the Bible by comparing them. The content of this piece of writing provides two main techniques in the new method of Bible comprehension. They are grammatical comparison of languages and historical context as a confirmation. At first, texts of Bible in different languages (the writer uses English, Indonesian, and Kupang Malay text) are compared on each level of the language (word, clause, sentence, and figurative language) to portray the grand idea of the texts; and the next is confirming it to the historical context of the text. This new method contributes to the development of hermeneutics more specifically in Biblical exegesis. Furthermore, this new concept will raise local languages into the higher level, meaning that local languages will be widely used in Bible comprehension with national language of readers and original languages of Bible. This help keep the existence of local wisdom including languages.

Old Testament essays, 2011

The basic premise of a teaching grammar (as opposed to a descriptive grammar or a prescriptive grammar) is that it must describe the grammar to be learned in terms of the grammar of the language known by the student. In this regard, Biblical Hebrew teaching grammars are woefully inadequate for non-Western students, since they teach the grammatical concepts of Biblical Hebrew from the standpoint of Indo-European languages. This is especially problematic in cases where the language of the student is closer to Biblical Hebrew than is the Indo-European language that is used as the reference point in the grammar. An example would be a language with an aspectual verbal system, which is closer to the Hebrew system than the tensed verbal system of English. In this paper we describe a research project in progress at the University of the Free State to produce a new teaching grammar of Biblical Hebrew based upon language typology, which allows students to learn Biblical Hebrew in terms of the...

A paper written for non experts presenting a few issues in Bible Translation against the backdrop of African languages

Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae, 2022

The Yawo people of Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania first had linguistic texts produced about their language in the latter half of the nineteenth century. At around the same time, and often by the same individuals, Bible translations into Ciyawo also first surfaced. Some of the earliest translations of the four Gospels were known as Utenga Wambone-the "Good News." This article explores the historical context of Christian mission among the Yawo, before then shifting to a historical overview of linguistic texts that dealt with Ciyawo as a language. Following this, an account of the history of Ciyawo Bible translation is offered, with particular focus on the early translations. This study concludes with a mention of the most recent Ciyawo Bible translations and suggestions for future research. These suggestions include a recommendation to focus on comparisons between the various Ciyawo Bible translations, both those which are older and the more recent publications. Comparing these translations will be valuable for understanding the impact of Bible translation among the Yawo people, and how language has changed. It will also provide an opportunity to determine which translation strategy would be best suited for future Ciyawo Bible translation efforts.

The language and text of the New Testament were profoundly influenced by the language, religion, custom and traditions of the people of Palestine during the dispensation in which they were written. This research examines the classification of New Testament literature; the oral tradition of the writers of the NT, and the languages spoken in Palestine and surrounding regions in that era. A general classification of the literature will serve to determine structure and help to delineate meaning of words in the texts. It must be understood that the oral tradition of these people was the matrix from which the text emerged, and must form the background of any discourse on the text and language of the New Testament.